Google has introduced a new project, named Knol, that compiles user-written, authoritative articles about a single subject. The name Knol means "unit of knowledge", and Knol's intention is to be an introduction to a certain subject. With Knol, users can write about any subject they choose, but the article should be more of a fact, and less of an opinion. In other words, with Knol, you should write about a subject that you know a great deal about, in a way that a first time reader of that subject would understand.
Google Knol is still beta, and very few people have yet to discover it. Knol went live July 23, 2008 after being announced in December 2007. There are early comparisons to Wikipedia and About.com because it contains user generated material. Like Wikipedia, Knol has a feature where users can suggest changes and improvements on articles. It's called "moderated collaboration", and is unobtrusive because the article's author can choose whether or not to accept the changes. However, the creators of Knol say they are not intending to compete with or kill Wikipedia. Knol differientiates itself as being less neutral than Wikipedia, and more from a personal perspective. An article written on Knol is not intended to be in a "blog" voice, but it is intended to be less formal than Wikipedia. Knol further differientiates itself from this comparison because several articles can be written on the same subject from different points of view.
Knol is very easy to use. The set up process takes less than 5 minutes, especially if you already have a Google account. Creating an article, or knol, is as simple as clicking the Write a Knol button on the home page. Feel free to start writing about any subect that suits your fancy. Google does not edit your Knols, and you are published instantly. Many people have found high Google page rankings through using Knol, which is probably one of the biggest benefits to using a Google product.
Another benefit is that Google offers Adsense on the Knols. You can choose whether or not to add it to your page, no pressure. If you choose to add Adsense, the ad will be simple and unimposing on your Knol. If you're knew to Google Adsense, it can take up to two weeks to get approved, but it shouldn't pose a problem. You can also place Adsense on some Knols, and leave it off on others. Google offers you a wide range of flexibility. Also, you will not need to split the ad revenue with Google.
Knol places huge emphasis on user interaction. In addition to moderated collaboration, users can rate, review and comment on your Knols. Because this project is still new, there's not much interaction yet, but with the inevitable popularity, expect to see more. The future for Google Knol is very bright as more people find out about this new project, and decide to write their own authoritative articles because, afterall, everyone has knowledge about something.