Google launched Knol, a monetizable Wikipedia, last July, and since then most people seem to have either forgotten about it entirely or decided that it will never be as good as its Wiki predecessor.
Today the site is launching a new section called Knol Debates, and while I don’t think it will ever get me to use the site as a reference encyclopedia, it’s a great idea. Google has brought together economists from the Cato Institute and the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) who have written their opinions regarding the current economic climate. Users are encouraged to participate in the conversation by leaving their comments, reviews, and suggested modifications to the original arguments.
Google is also allowing users to vote on future topics for Knol debates with its recently launched Google Moderator tool. For more information, check out the announcement on Google’s official blog.