Google Throws Open Rival for Wikipedia

Google has announced the debut of Knol, a Wikipedia-like online encyclopedia penned by authoritative sources. Here’s how Knol works. Experts in a given subject log into a Google account and use the Knol software to post an item, also known as a knol. In some senses, the process is like producing a blog post — but in this case it’s not something written off the cuff but carefully crafted to coherently explain a single subject. One key attribute: Knols are meant to be signed with the author’s actual name. With permission, Google will actually verify the writer’s identity, either by credit card or phone