What was Google Knol and why did it fail?

Google Knol was a now-defunct knowledge-sharing platform launched by Google in 2008. It allowed users to create articles (called “knols”) on various topics, with the aim of providing a repository of expert knowledge on the internet.

Despite the initial buzz around Knol, it failed to gain widespread adoption and was eventually shut down in 2012. There were several reasons for its failure, including a lack of distinctive features compared to existing platforms like Wikipedia, poor user engagement, and a lack of marketing and promotion by Google. Additionally, the competitive landscape of online content and knowledge-sharing platforms was rapidly evolving at the time, with social media and other platforms gaining popularity and diverting attention away from Knol. In this article we deeply explain about how google knol fail.

Is Google closing down Knol?

Google announced the closure of Knol in 2012, and it was shut down on April 30, 2012.

Cause of Failure of Google Knol

Google Knol, a now-defunct platform for publishing articles, was shut down in 2012 due to a lack of user engagement and low traffic. The platform faced stiff competition from established players such as Wikipedia, which already had a massive user base and established brand recognition. Additionally, the platform’s revenue model, which relied on AdSense revenue, was not generating enough income to sustain the project. Ultimately, Google decided to retire Knol and focus on other ventures.

Knol just wasn’t good enough to compete with Wikipedia, or even most blogs out there. It had some major design flaws that contributed to lots of poorly written content, spamming, and outright plagiarism. For example, only the original author could edit their work, regardless of any feedback received from other users. This led to the same topic having multiple entries from various, but not necessarily reliable, sources. 

Does there is any way to Fixing Knol

Google has officially retired Knol and is no longer supporting the platform. Therefore, it is not possible to “fix” Knol in its original form. However, it is possible for someone to create a similar knowledge-sharing platform that builds upon the strengths of Knol and addresses its weaknesses. If one were to create such a platform, they would need to carefully consider the needs and wants of creators and users, as well as find a way to monetize the platform effectively. It’s worth noting that creating a successful knowledge-sharing platform would be a challenging task, and there are already many established players in the market. Nonetheless, with the right approach and execution, it could be possible to create a thriving platform that fills a unique niche in the market.

What are the main problems in Google knol

The platform ultimately failed to gain traction and was shut down in 2012. There were several problems that led to the failure of Google Knol, including:

1. Competition from established players: Google Knol faced stiff competition from established players in the market such as Wikipedia, which had a massive user base and brand recognition.
2. Lack of engagement: There was a lack of engagement on the platform, as users were not actively participating in creating and sharing content. This led to a lack of fresh, high-quality content that would attract users to the platform.
3. Poor monetization strategy: The platform relied heavily on AdSense revenue, which was not generating enough income to sustain the project. The revenue model was not diversified enough to provide alternative sources of income.
4. Lack of community: The platform failed to build a strong community around it, which is a crucial aspect of any knowledge-sharing platform. Without a vibrant community of users, the platform could not generate enough engagement or attract new users.

In SUMMARY – The problems that led to the failure of Google Knol included competition from established players, lack of engagement, poor monetization strategy, and lack of community.

What were the last 5 products that were killed by Google and Reason

Google has retired many products over the years, but here are the last five major products that were shut down by Google:

1. Google Hangouts: Google announced in 2019 that it would retire Hangouts, its messaging and video chat platform. The service was replaced by Google Meet and Google Chat.
2. Google Play Music: Google Play Music, a music streaming service, was shut down in 2020. The service was replaced by YouTube Music.
3. Google Daydream: Google Daydream, a virtual reality platform for smartphones, was discontinued in 2019. Google decided to focus on its other AR and VR initiatives.
4. Google Inbox: Google Inbox, an email client that offered advanced features such as snoozing and bundling, was shut down in 2019. The features were integrated into the main Gmail app.
5. Google+, a social networking platform, was shut down in 2019 after a data breach. The platform was struggling to gain traction against established players such as Facebook.

It’s worth noting that Google is constantly launching and retiring products based on market demand, user engagement, and other factors. As such, the list of retired products is likely to continue to grow over time.