Google's Knol, Expert Wiki, Goes Live

Google's Wikipedia rival, Knol, has been officially launched.

Knol is a project to compile an index of learned articles on a variety of topics, which is both searchable and available to surfers for free.

Google first announced the project in December 2007, as it attempted to win back the search traffic it was losing by surfers going direct to Wikipedia.

"The internet is huge, but still a lot of expert knowledge remains untapped," said Juergen Galler, director of Product Management for Google.

However, articles in Knol are bylined rather than anonymous, which Google said is better than Wikipedia's anonymous model.

"Knol provides a way for people to share their expertise with others - and get credit for their contribution. In the same way that books have authors' names right on the cover, knols have authors' names--and links to their other articles - right there on the page," said Galler.

http://knol.google.com

Free Voting Aid Widgets, from StateDemocracy.org

We are pleased to announce that several FREE Voter Aids are now available to you as a user of www.StateDemocracy.org, the 1-stop civic engagement portal that Delivers Democracy to your Desktop!

More citizens than ever are voting in the 2008 elections, and the StateDemocracy Foundation wants to make this democratic privilege as easy as possible.

That’s why we’re offering the following free Widgets (for any of the 50 States) to download as voter aids for visitors to your own website, blog or social networking site (like MySpace and FaceBook):

• Absentee Ballot Application
  
  
• Voter Registration Application
  
  
• Polling Place Locator
  

Please take advantage of this free offer right NOW -- well before the deadlines that states have for voter registration and absentee ballots -- and also forward this invitation to all your online friends and colleagues.

Thanks!

Why Register to Vote?

Every person who is eligible to vote should vote. Democracy offers people a voice – it is through voting that they speak. Each vote is a stepping stone to change.
"No Vote – No Voice": It's as simple as that.


“Voting is a responsibility of citizenship. It is important for our democracy that the American people go to the polls and take for themselves the decisions that will impact on them for years to come. It is the duty of our democratic system to promote greater voter participation and to encourage people to register to vote.”


You may register to vote if:
• You are a citizen of the United States
• You are a resident of the state in which you're planning to register
• You are at least 18-years-old at the time of the next election
• You are not be imprisoned or on parole for the conviction or a felony
• You are not currently be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law


Before you can vote, you have to register to vote (except in North Dakota). Each state has a different deadline for voter registration, but in most states, you need to register at least 30 days before Election Day, November 4, 2008.


www.StateDemocracy.org has developed this application, wherein you can fill the form online, print it, sign it, stamp it and mail it to the state's chief election official.
Simply click here to register to vote. Follow the directions for completing the form and then mail it to the address that's listed for your state's chief election official.


Also, if you are registering to vote for the first time, you must include a photocopy of a government-issued ID with your photo and address on it (a driver's license or U.S. passport will work). (If you don't have a driver's license, you can call your local election official to find out what other forms of ID will work.) This photocopy must be mailed along with your completed and signed voter registration form to your state's election office (the address already on the form).


A few states do not accept MAIL-IN voter registration forms, which means that you must register in person. The states that don't accept mailed-in voter registration forms include: New Hampshire (will only accept a mailed-in form as a request for its own absentee voter registration form) and Wyoming.


Make sure you understand the rules for your state. Some states have same-day registration while some states require your first vote to be in person.


Don't forget your ID: If you register for the first time in a state by mail, you must present ID at the polls. Just keep that photo ID with you when you go to vote, because you just might need it.
You can also download the free Voter Registration Application Widget and use it on your website / blog.


So, what are you waiting for, go now and register to vote and also encourage your other countrymen to register to Vote and Vote on the Election Day.



StateDemocracy Foundation
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