VentureBeat - Latest Comments in Wikia lets companies add their widgets as search results

Re: Wikia lets companies add their widgets as search results

Guest — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:04:14 -0000

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Re: Wikia lets companies add their widgets as search results

Chris Morrison — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:29:52 -0000

Gotcha, and I misread your comment. Good point on press roles, not to mention perspective.

Re: Wikia lets companies add their widgets as search results

Seth Finkelstein — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:00:56 -0000

To be clear, I was complimenting your description of Wikia. As I've written, I regard the business press as important, because they are (socially) allowed to make observations which are considered rude and improper in other punditry contexts. So I've been trying to bring some of the financial analysis which is permitted in the business press to other areas. When I make the observation that venture capitalists want money back, preferably large returns on their investment, you may consider that the most elementary baby-simple statement, but elsewhere it's regarded as a radical and almost insulting statement.

Many people believe Wales has treated them extremely poorly, either in his role as entrepreneur or as a person. I suggest to you that while of course these situations are not uncommon, there is an extra dose of salt-in-the-wound from, let's say, his presentation of himself.

Re: Wikia lets companies add their widgets as search results

Chris Morrison — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:42:57 -0000

The controversy over Wales' involvement in Wikipedia is pretty well known (at least in our audience) and I prefer not to rehash it in every single article about Wikia, which one might note is a for-profit company that's pretty straightforward about its "strategy of selling advertising around other people's work."

I do find the raw hatred Wales has inspired in a number of people pretty impressive. If only that could be monetized..

Point on the CO-founder note, I will correct that.

Re: Wikia lets companies add their widgets as search results

Seth Finkelstein — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:10:21 -0000

I like the way you described it here: "Wikia was started by Wikipedia [CO-]founder Jimmy Wales in 2006 to try to take monetary advantage of the user contributions ..."

You may enjoy a recent _Guardian_ column I wrote on Wikipedia's history, and advertising:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/25/wikipedia.internet

Relevant quote: "It's informative to observe how long [Jimmy] Wales has been pursuing a strategy of selling advertising around other people's work."