Coming Soon: Rival to Wikipedia

According to reports, Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia, and the site's former editor-in-chief, is launching a rival site called "Citizendium".

"Citizendium" aims to weed out biased or incorrect information and obscenities by creating user registration and editorial controls, in contrast to the more open submission process at Wikipedia. Besides, the site will be an invitation-only one for experts in various fields.

According to Sanger, "Citizendium" will initially start with replicating the database of articles on Wikipedia, which uses open-source code. It will then evolve into a new encyclopedia as expert participants post their material.

Sanger pointed out that there are a number of problems with Wikipedia that can be solved, and that by solving these, they can end up with an even bigger and better encyclopedia.

A test version of "Citizendium" to be launched this week in Harmon, California, will deploy experienced editors and subject authorities to tune information submitted by Web surfers.

Sanger said that by engaging expert editors, eliminating anonymous contribution, and launching a more mature community under a new charter, a much broader and more influential group of people and institutions will be able to improve upon Wikipedia's extremely useful, but often uneven work.

And in an attempt to discourage mischievous postings, Sanger said that "Citizendium" would require members to register their real names before they write for the online encyclopedia.

Meanwhile, "Citizendium" will be open within the next few days to a limited number of invited editors and members of the public who apply, and will be made generally available by the end of the year.