New Wikipedia Search Engine Includes A Human Touch

New Wikipedia Search Engine Includes A Human Touch

Jimmy Wales isn't entertaining David-and-Goliath delusions when it comes to battling Google at Internet search. Wales, co-founder of online encyclopedia Wikipedia, knows his new Web-search tool won't come close to reaching Google's (GOOG) market share any time soon. But he's got what may be an even grander agenda: Wales wants to shake up how people search the Web, whatever engine they use.

Wikia Search debuts Jan. 7, the result of more than a year of development and $14 million in funding from Amazon.com (AMZN), venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners, and a who's who of angel investors including Netscape Communications co-founder Marc Andreesen, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and Lotus Development founder and Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder Mitch Kapor. The search engine is being launched by Wikia, a San Mateo (Calif.) for-profit that evolved from a company Wales co-founded in 2004.

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