
The Secret Search Engine Tearing Wikipedia Apart - walterbell
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/wikipedias-secret-google-competitor-search-engine-is-tearing-it-apart
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chris_wot
See also: [http://wittylama.com/2016/02/15/knowledge-engine-by-
wikipedi...](http://wittylama.com/2016/02/15/knowledge-engine-by-wikipedia/)

This is an excellent analysis of what exactly has gone wrong with this grant
application.

However, I'd like to add: search is not Wikimedia's core competency. It's an
important aspect within the various Wikimedia properties (Wikipedia,
Wiktionary, Wikidata, Wikisource, et al) but the knowledge engine has been
clearly positioned to the Knight Foundation as a competitor to commercial
search engines. The document even states this. And it looks pretty clear that
the search was to also involve sources external to WMF sources.

I frankly find it remarkable that the WMF would prioritise search to the
exclusion of all the other technical things they need and want to accomplish.
And the way this has all been done is breathtaking in its arrogance, secrecy
and stupidity.

In my view, and in the view of many others, Lila should resign. Immediately.

 _edit:_ I think the talk page of James Heilman is very instructive as to what
happened here:

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Doc_James](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Doc_James)

