The first editor and chief of Wikipedia, Larry Sanger, is planning on creating an alternative to Wikipedia with the goal, once again, of collecting all human knowledge.

This fork will start with all of the currently available Wikipedia articles and will edit away from there. This new site, entitled Citizendium, eliminates anonymous editors and will hand over the reigns to “real” experts. In order to become an editor you will have to publicly post your credentials. According to their FAQ, there will be a mechanism to remove editors with false credentials and also a way for non-experts to become editors.

Even though I spend an exorbitant amount of time evangelizing for Wikipedia, I am still strongly in favor of this project. While it probably is the choleric child of the failed marriage between Larry and Wikipedia’s founder Jimmy Wales, it still serves to increase the depth of knowledge that is freely available on the web.

Personal vendettas aside free, accurate information is never a bad thing. Lets hope that Citizendium can deliver on these promises.

[Picture of Mr. Sanger provided by none other than Wikipedia.]

If you enjoyed that why not find a job or read our guide to working in the 21st century. You can also join our Kiva team or hire me for your project.