Billed in the tech press as Google's version of Wikipedia, Knol may offer writers of original content a whole lot more.

More control of their material, more freedom and, most importantly, more credit.

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As I write this, I gotta admit that I am a fixture at Wikipedia. I’ve been an administrator there for years and have contributed to thousands of Wikipedia articles either as the original creator or in other fashions.

Within the past 24 hours, I heard that Google had launched its own wiki service called “Knol” (short for Knowledge as in “knol” is a unit of knowlege). Cute and weird – like most things Google.

Now, upon hearing of the Google-owned wiki, I immediately thought Google was launching its own online encyclopedia. So, I went over to check it out.

I was shocked by what I found. Shocked.

CONTROL ISSUES

It turns out Knol is not another Wikipedia. It is much, much more.

Google has been getting the reputation for being a media behemoth. But it sure ain’t acting like one with Knol. The biggest issue that came out and slapped me in the face about Knol is: CONTRIBUTORS KEEP THE COPYRIGHT TO THEIR WORK.

Yes, you read me right. If you contribute something to Knol – you keep the copyright – and may even prohibit other people from altering your work. Ever.

But if you WANT – and only if – you may release the material in a share-and-share-alike method similar to that of Wikipedia. But, that’s just an option – not a mandate.

Their website says:

We respect our users’ ownership of and responsibility for the content they choose to share. It is our belief that censoring this content is contrary to a service that bases itself on freedom of expression.

Unless you run your own site, or contribute to a small site like FanDominion.com – this is unheard of. When you contribute to any other major media site like Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers or even blog on Live Journal, you sign away most – or all – of your rights to your work. But, not so with Knol.

Google wants none of that:

No Google Ownership of User Content.  Google claims no ownership or control over any content submitted, posted or displayed by you on or through the Service. You or a third party licensor, as appropriate, retain all patent, trademark and copyright to any content you submit, post or display on or through the Service and you are responsible for protecting those rights, as appropriate.

The control thing is cool enough – but it gets better.

UNFETTERED CREATIVITY

The next best thing is that Knol does not limit what you can post. You can write about whatever you want (as long as it isn’t hard-core porn, kiddie porn, bestiality or hate speech).

Wanna post your favorite recipe for tuna salad? No problem.

How about an opinionated guide to all 22 episodes of the short-lived 2001 steampunk SCI FI Channel TV series, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne? Yup.

How about writing a how-to book on creating a fanzine? Yep. Even if someone else has written on the same topic – you can write your own and keep opinionated folks you disagree with from mucking up your take on the issue.

UNCERTAIN LIMITS

Although Google says users should not treat Knol as a blog, the open ended policy does not preclude folks from using Knol to host other forms of writing, such as short fiction, collections of original poems, lyrics, reviews, art galleries, opinion essays, fanzines, and anything else that is not pornography or hate speech.

EASE OF USE

Perhaps the best thing about Knol is how easy Knol is to use. Creating content on the site is literally easier than using many online email services.

And if you already have content written in Word, as a plain text file – or even as a PDF – you can simply upload that file into Knol from your hard drive and with minimal cleaning, you got an article on the web.

I used the service to post a couple of old recipes – and even uploaded some ancient college essays in word format that I had written in many years ago.

Both worked like a dream. You can check out my trial run on Knol by clicking this link. It takes you to my profile page – with a list of my articles appearing on the right hand side of the screen.

Some I even left open for you – or anyone else - to contribute to, while others I did not.

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• Allows you to keep all copyrights and control of your material
• Bylines – take credit for what you create
• Google hosts the content – but does not want to own it
• Virtually no limits on what you can write about
• Block others from being able to tamper with your creation

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• For being owned by a search engine, finding content via the resident search function is not easy on Knol
• Navigation on the site is non-existent aside from “featured knols” which are mostly medical in nature
• In “beta” which means it is subject to change drastically in the next few months

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ADVICE FOR NEW WRITERS:

I’d suggest that every writer should join a critique group — a gentler one if they really are writing virgins. I belong to another one that I value for the insights of some of the members but would never submit anything there for criticism. I previously belonged to one that had members who delighted in stomping on any perceived weaknesses. You must learn to evaluate criticism, not succumb to it.

ON LOOKING FOR AN AGENT

Unless you have been advised by an established writer to approach an agent or publisher of their acquaintance, with at least a good word if not an outright recommendation, don’t waste your time.

Check out the full interview here: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/25/104108.php

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Award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer Octavia E Butler died suddenly Saturday, a victim of an apparent stroke. At age 58, she had achieved much more than once would expect from a dyslexic African American lesbian born to a shoe shiner.

For her work, she had been awarded two Nebula and Hugo awards.

Below is an excerpt from her bibliography at Wikipedia and reprinted under this GFDL license.

Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947-February 25, 2006) was an American science fiction writer, one of very few African-American women in the field, and a leading lesbian writer. She won both Hugo and Nebula awards, and was the first science fiction writer ever to be a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.”

Butler was born in Pasadena, California. Her father, a shoe shiner, died when she was young; her mother raised her in a struggling, racially mixed neighborhood. As a child, she was considered shy and a “daydreamer;” she was later diagnosed with dyslexia. She began writing at the age of 10 “to escape loneliness and boredom.” She was 12 when she began a lifelong interest in science fiction.

After getting an associate degree from Pasadena City College, she attended California State University and UCLA. She gave credit for her development as a writer to the Open Door Program of the Screen Writers Guild of America and the Clarion Science Fiction Writers Workshop.

Butler moved to Seattle in November 1999. She described herself as “comfortably asocial–a hermit in the middle of Seattle–a pessimist if I’m not careful, a feminist, a Black, a former Baptist, an oil-and-water combination of ambition, laziness, insecurity, certainty, and drive.” She died of a stroke on February 25, 2006 at the age of 58.

Following in the footsteps of Asimov and Marion Zimmer Bradley, science Fiction author Orson Scott Card launched his own fiction magazine this month. But unlike the others, this magazine is a “webzine” – which is accessible only via the Internet.

Called the InterGalactic Medicine Show (click here to visit), the webzine focuses on fiction in the sci fi and fantasy genres. In doing so, Card’s publication is looking to break new authors and is paying $0.06 a word (6 cents) up to $500 per story for each story chosen for publication.

The pub pays artists $200 for black and white illustrations, $400 for color.

For readers, registration to the website is free, allowing a preview of each issue (including a preview of each story). To get full access, readers must pay $2.50 via PayPal, which is handled automatically then sends you back to the webzine with full access of the issue purchased.

For people who do not enjoy reading from a computer screen, after purchase, an option exists to print out each story individually on a home printer.

The first issue, October 2005, features the following stories:

• Respite by Rachel Ann Dryden (art by Nate Pinnock)
• Loose in the Wires by John Brown (art b Mike Roush)
• Night Walks by Robert Stoddard (art by Jin Han)
• Eviction Notice by Scott M. Roberts (art by Jin Han)
• A Rarefield View at Dawn by Dave Wolverton (art by Michael Graham)
• Trill and the Beanstalk by Edmund R. Schubert (art by I-Wei Huang)
• Taint of Treason by Eric James Stone (art by Glen Bellamy)

For writers and artists looking to submit work, click here for the submission guidelines for InterGalactic Medicine Show (this includes how this publication defines “science fiction” and “fantasy”).