Wikipedia’s Wales: We’re becoming A news publisher

by using @mp_joemandese, March 13, 2016

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Wikipedia groundwork’s commercial spinoff Wikia is entering the information reporting industry, Founder Jimmy Wales said all through a keynote conversation at SXSW Interactive here this morning.

Wales mentioned advert-supported Wikia, which is now the world’s “sixteenth most popular web page,” has recruited 700 volunteers to record on its Fandom hub, which covers games, films and tv content material and experiences.

“as a substitute of simply being an encyclopedia, we’re changing into a news supply,” Wales mentioned of Wikia’s new focus vs. Wikipedia’s encyclopedic strategy to publishing.

Wales additionally printed that Wikipedia is poised to launch its first native iOS mobile app and that it’ll turn out to be users’ experience with the web encyclopedia. specifically, he said the app is designed to optimize snackable moments of customers’ time, much the way in which they would possibly use facebook, Twitter, Reddit or other time occupying structures — however with an educational and informative bent.

He said the theory for it was for users who’re caught for “five minutes” someplace and “want one thing interesting” to occupy their time.

He stated the brand new app is being developed to “take into consideration the waft experience” and will focal point on feeding “fascinating content material” and more “personalization.”

“lately, I’ve been excited about shipwrecks,” he instructed the SXSW audience. “certainly, the app could be aware of that “he read three articles about shipwrecks. Let’s serve him up extra content about shipwrecks.”

 

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