Google and Wikipedia

Google and Wikipedia are two of the greatest sources of information on the web today. Google provides fast, intuitive search, while Wikipedia provides vast amounts of information in an easily accessible way.

Currently, both are in a somewhat interdependent relationship. Google often turns up Wikipedia articles in search results. Wikipedia takes advantage of this and has users use Google to search the Wikipedia site. However, there are flaws to this relationship. Google users have no control over how Wikipedia articles get included in their search. Sometimes, you don't want Wikipedia information. Wikipedia's problem is that the Google searches can be up to a month out of date, which can be a problem for the rapidly changing parts of Wikipedia.

These problems could easily be solved by tighter integration between the two websites. To accomplish this, I suggest that Google take Wikipedia under their wing, as they have done for the Open Directory Project, Orkut, and Picasa. Wikipedia could still retain much of their independence, while getting much in return. Wikipedia could be hosted by Google servers. The Google search of Wikipedia could be close to real-time, and there could even be the possibility of Google programmers contributing to Wikipedia. With more hits and a corporate backer, Wikipedia might see a growth in the number of contributors. Google would get a whole new type of information to play with and analyze out of the deal. Wikipedia articles could be displayed in the special searches section of Google results and maybe the Google algorithms could be tuned special for Wikipedia. This relationship could blossom into a whole new way to get the information you want in an easy, intuitive way.