Google has launched a Wikipedia-style site called Knol, which offers contributors the chance to make money from the information they submit. While acting as a collaborative information service, Knol differs from rival Wikipedia in that authors' names are attached to each post, and they are responsible for any changes made to the entry. Users can opt to monetise their posts and receive a proportion of revenues from relevant ads from Google AdSense.

Knol - short for knowledge of unit - allows users to publish articles on any topic. Authors put their name to posts and can choose to have their identity verified by Google using a phone number or credit card, reports InformationWeek. Verified users are tagged with a badge that makes them appear more trustworthy. While more than one writer can publish on the same topic, Google will order related searches based on a post's user ratings, reviews, feedback and popularity. Users can choose to collaborate with other authors, but other site users will not be able to edit entries without permission from the original writer.

"We are deeply convinced that authorship helps readers trust the content," Knol's product manager Cedric DuPont tells Reuters. "What we want to get away from is 'this last voice wins' model which is very difficult if you are a busy professional".

Before this public launch, Knol spent seven months in private beta.