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by gerbler 2095 days ago
Pretty slick but I think calling it "The most comprehensive knowledge platform" is a slight exaggeration. I searched for a few random topics ("urban planning", "pianos" and "bitcoin") and bitcoin was the only one to have a (lengthy) article.

I also don't understand the incentive for users to contribute to a knowledge base that is then being sold: https://golden.com/pricing

2 comments

Unfortunately this was created because Wikipedia refused to keep articles on obscure altcoins so it’s very crypto heavy. That’s why a16z has jumped in I’d imagine—they very much drank the crypto koolaid and like the synergy.

This was also why I could never really see this becoming a serious product. It’s an SEO trick for ICOs looking to hype themselves, a far cry from a knowledge base. Mismatched incentives will screw up the value prop.

Interesting - didn't realize Wikipedia didn't allow such articles.

But in general, Golden seems to have a very strong tech bias - which is fine, but limits what it can be used for.

"On Wikipedia, notability is a test used by editors to decide whether a given topic warrants its own article."

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability

Most altcoins are not notable by the Wikipedia standard of notability.

> But in general, Golden seems to have a very strong tech bias - which is fine, but limits what it can be used for.

Today, yes, but not necessarily in the future. Facebook started on elite college campuses, built its network, and expanded.

It makes little sense for someone to contribute to a knowledge base like this one.

One of the quotes from the home page - supposedly written by a person who's tried it out - is as follows:

"18 years later, a startup to take on @Wikipedia --> @golden" [0]

This really confuses me. What exactly would it mean to take on Wikipedia in a meaningful sense? You'd have to build the community of Wikipedia with the same kind of values and ethics governing it, then you'd have to get the novel software (the "AI" thing they claim to be using) implemented in a way that doesn't violate said ethics, nor lowers the quality of the information.

Seems like it'd be much better just to work towards putting the AI into use at Wikipedia. Whatever innovation does end up resulting from this company, it will likely get lost if/when it gets acquired, so in the end few if any people will be able to enjoy its benefits.

[0] https://golden.com/home