Wikipedia 2.0

The next web-based encyclopedia will be a more perfect source of information and includes an unusual affiliate deal that will benefit VISP network providers.

by Alex Goldman ISP-Planet Managing Editor [April 3, 2006]

An essay that tackles the fundamental questions that Lawrence Sanger, a co-founder of Wikipedia, hopes to answer with the next project he'll be collaborating on, the Digital Universe Foundation, is currently behind a firewall, but we were shown an advance copy.

In the essay, one of many that Sanger intends to write about a subject that he feels is very important, he wrestles with such questions as defining information, describing the ideal source of information, defining what kinds of information should not necessarily be made available (ranging from weapons building information to a comprehensive database of every human being on the plant).

Sanger describes the flaws of currently available sources of information. He began thinking about this as he watched Wikipedia evolve, becoming particularly concerned about whether an information source could have a neutral point of view.

Sanger has been aware of the problems with Wikipedia long before the issues he describes in a 2004 post to Kuro5hin became news in USA TODAY.

The new encyclopedia, called Digital Universe, will have the goal of providing information that is:

• complete
• accurate
• available
• easy to use
• interactive

The website puts it more succinctly:

The Digital Universe is a network of interlinked web portals intended to become—over time—the largest reliable public information resource in history.

The quality of the content will be ensured by Stewards, such as the Chief Steward of the Arctic Portal, Robert Corell, who is a Senior Policy Fellow with the Policy Program of the American Meteorological Society.

The ManyOne platform
Behind the project is a for-profit platform, ManyOne Networks, a technology provider that will eventually be owned by the nonprofit ManyOne Foundation.

"ManyOne provides a number of solutions," explains Joseph Lapolito, its COO. "We offer VISP services, provide hosting and authoring tools for the Digital Universe Foundation, and more."

ManyOne initiated efforts for many of the groups that will provide and vet content for Digital Universe. For example, ManyOne joined [.pdf] with National Council for Science and the Environment, Earth Voice/HSUS at the United Nations Environment Programme office in Washington, D.C. to launch the Environmental Information Coalition on July 1, 2003. The coalition will launch The Earth Portal in May of 2006.

ManyOne had been building a proprietary browser but is now focusing on a version of the portal that will be accessible from any internet browser. "By the end of April, we will launch the first non-beta experience of the Digital Universe that will be browser independent. We will support Safari, Internet Explorer, Mozilla, and Konqueror and we are working on a future release that will work with Opera." says Lapolito.

The ManyOne network
Lapolito has worked for ISPs like ZipLink and NaviPath, for ASPs like NaviSite, and for equipment vendor UT Starcom. He knows networks. ManyOne intends to reach ISP customers through its affiliations with organizations that have members. These for profit and nonprofit organizations will sell ISP services to their supporters and members.

The network will be supplied by wholesale access providers. Currently the company has two dialup providers, GlobalPOPs and O1 Communications, and relies on Covad for broadband. The company has no agreements with wireless broadband providers, but "we're keeping an eye on the WISP community," says Lapolito .

Any company that is able to market the service to its members can become a Network Partner. Network Partners get 25 percent of net revenue, the Digital Universe Foundation gets 25 percent of net revenue, and ManyOne gets 50 percent of net revenue on any account.

So does ManyOne have any facilities? "We do our own customer service and billing," says Lapolito. "We have some colocation here in California with Equinix. We run our own mail service," he says.

Becoming a Network Partner with ManyOne is just like signing up with a VISP. "The Network Partner signs the contract, gives us a domain or we can register it for them, we set up marketing pages and online information, and they sell the service."

— End