Article in The Guardian (April 1, 2009), by Charles Arthur:
Jimmy Wales brings the axe down on Wikia Search
Comment #2 packs a wallop.
Greg
Full Version: Jimmy Wales brings the axe down on Wikia Search
QUOTE(thekohser @ Thu 2nd April 2009, 2:54pm) 
Article in The Guardian (April 1, 2009), by Charles Arthur:
Jimmy Wales brings the axe down on Wikia Search
Comment #2 packs a wallop.
Greg
That commenter stole your nick, buddy! Good comment though. Needs moar links, however, to further encourage the readership to really do some research of their own.
Ya know what? This ought to be preserved as a sticky or something:
QUOTE
* Opinions on nursing profession for his first wife.
* Characterization of the "Bomis Babes" web portal.
* Characterization of himself as "sole founder" of Wikipedia.
* Flip-flopping on paid editing of freely-licensed content.
* Accusations of seeking Foundation reimbursement for a massage parlor visit.
* Seeking reimbursement for a $1300 dinner-for-four ($650 of it for wine).
* Initial reaction to the "Essjay" scandal.
* Promising the media a "credential verification" plan for Wikipedia.
* Hosting private mailing lists on Wikia, Inc. servers that conducted surveillance of 'suspicious' editors of Wikipedia.
* Editorial judgment surrounding the Wikipedia article about Rachel Marsden.
* Promising the media a "flagged revisions" plan for Wikipedia.
* Wikia, Inc. taking rental money for office space (at higher than the lowest bid) from the Wikimedia Foundation.
* Telling a reporter just days ago that Search Wikia was "cranking away", then closing it down.
* Characterization of the "Bomis Babes" web portal.
* Characterization of himself as "sole founder" of Wikipedia.
* Flip-flopping on paid editing of freely-licensed content.
* Accusations of seeking Foundation reimbursement for a massage parlor visit.
* Seeking reimbursement for a $1300 dinner-for-four ($650 of it for wine).
* Initial reaction to the "Essjay" scandal.
* Promising the media a "credential verification" plan for Wikipedia.
* Hosting private mailing lists on Wikia, Inc. servers that conducted surveillance of 'suspicious' editors of Wikipedia.
* Editorial judgment surrounding the Wikipedia article about Rachel Marsden.
* Promising the media a "flagged revisions" plan for Wikipedia.
* Wikia, Inc. taking rental money for office space (at higher than the lowest bid) from the Wikimedia Foundation.
* Telling a reporter just days ago that Search Wikia was "cranking away", then closing it down.
QUOTE(EricBarbour @ Thu 2nd April 2009, 11:39pm)
Ya know what? This ought to be preserved as a sticky or something:
QUOTE
* Opinions on nursing profession for his first wife.
* Characterization of the "Bomis Babes" web portal.
* Characterization of himself as "sole founder" of Wikipedia.
* Flip-flopping on paid editing of freely-licensed content.
* Accusations of seeking Foundation reimbursement for a massage parlor visit.
* Seeking reimbursement for a $1300 dinner-for-four ($650 of it for wine).
* Initial reaction to the "Essjay" scandal.
* Promising the media a "credential verification" plan for Wikipedia.
* Hosting private mailing lists on Wikia, Inc. servers that conducted surveillance of 'suspicious' editors of Wikipedia.
* Editorial judgment surrounding the Wikipedia article about Rachel Marsden.
* Promising the media a "flagged revisions" plan for Wikipedia.
* Wikia, Inc. taking rental money for office space (at higher than the lowest bid) from the Wikimedia Foundation.
* Telling a reporter just days ago that Search Wikia was "cranking away", then closing it down.
* Characterization of the "Bomis Babes" web portal.
* Characterization of himself as "sole founder" of Wikipedia.
* Flip-flopping on paid editing of freely-licensed content.
* Accusations of seeking Foundation reimbursement for a massage parlor visit.
* Seeking reimbursement for a $1300 dinner-for-four ($650 of it for wine).
* Initial reaction to the "Essjay" scandal.
* Promising the media a "credential verification" plan for Wikipedia.
* Hosting private mailing lists on Wikia, Inc. servers that conducted surveillance of 'suspicious' editors of Wikipedia.
* Editorial judgment surrounding the Wikipedia article about Rachel Marsden.
* Promising the media a "flagged revisions" plan for Wikipedia.
* Wikia, Inc. taking rental money for office space (at higher than the lowest bid) from the Wikimedia Foundation.
* Telling a reporter just days ago that Search Wikia was "cranking away", then closing it down.
I could have added a couple more items that feature "adult situations" and would be (at least) R-rated, but I figured enough was enough and took the higher road because those tidbits are hearsay, not published/documented by third parties as the above all are.
Thanks for noticing, Eric.
Maybe someone who wanted to flesh these out with links and such could re-work this page, which could use some tending by fresh eyes (preferably by someone other than me).
Seth Finkelstein reported that Wikia Search received the final ignominy last week.
QUOTE(Seth)
Oh, how far the mighty imagined Google-fighter ("killer" was overhype) has fallen. The late, only slightly lamented, Wikia Search project (Wikipedia-style search) shut down months ago. The URL was redirected to another site of Wikia Inc, a question-and-answers wiki. But there was at least a paragraph on the front page indicating Wikia Search had existed. However, on June 17, even that paragraph was removed. All that remains about Wikia Search on that page now is a tiny icon, a virtual puff of smoke, into which it has vanished.
QUOTE(Kato @ Wed 5th August 2009, 10:29am)
Seth Finkelstein reported that Wikia Search received the final ignominy last week.
QUOTE(Seth)
Oh, how far the mighty imagined Google-fighter ("killer" was overhype) has fallen. The late, only slightly lamented, Wikia Search project (Wikipedia-style search) shut down months ago. The URL was redirected to another site of Wikia Inc, a question-and-answers wiki. But there was at least a paragraph on the front page indicating Wikia Search had existed. However, on June 17, even that paragraph was removed. All that remains about Wikia Search on that page now is a tiny icon, a virtual puff of smoke, into which it has vanished.
Nice editorial touch, how Seth transforms the little happy cloud into "a virtual puff of smoke".
Face it.
Wikia Search was a bad idea executed by an incompetent proprietor.
The market rejected it, after its first iteration was embarrassingly bad.
It never recovered.
Wikia Search was a bad idea executed by an incompetent proprietor.
The market rejected it, after its first iteration was embarrassingly bad.
It never recovered.
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