Biographicon
Encyclopedia
The Biographicon was a wiki
-based website containing biographies
of famous and non-famous people, that existed from March to August 2008. The site also showed connections between individuals covered, and explained the circumstances under which they met.
The site was launched on March 1, 2008 by computer programmer Ethan Herdrick and business partner Daniel Terhorst. The site had received a small amount of seed funding from venture capital firm Y Combinator
. Herdrick served as the company's Chief Executive Officer
, while Terhorst was Chief Technology Officer.
The blog The Wired Campus labelled the Biographicon "Wikipedia
for non-notables
" in reference to the fact that unlike the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, the Biographicon did not have a notability threshold for inclusion, operating under the tagline "all the people of the world". Writing for The Independent
, Rhodri Marsden
commented that on the Biographicon, "anyone can put up details about themselves without fear of being nominated for deletion", though he noted that since the site operated using wiki software, "there's always the chance that someone will log in and alter your entry to include the time you cried on a school trip because someone stole your sandwiches." Ars Technica
describes it as "a potential "who's who
" of world history." Michael Arrington
of TechCrunch
noted that it might have problems gaining traction.
On August 21, 2008, the website was shut down, due to what its founders called "insufficient user interest in the site." A brief attempt to restore the site soon afterward proved unsuccessful.
Wiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
-based website containing biographies
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of famous and non-famous people, that existed from March to August 2008. The site also showed connections between individuals covered, and explained the circumstances under which they met.
The site was launched on March 1, 2008 by computer programmer Ethan Herdrick and business partner Daniel Terhorst. The site had received a small amount of seed funding from venture capital firm Y Combinator
Y Combinator
Y Combinator is an American seed-stage startup funding firm, started in March 2005. Y Combinator provides seed money, advice, and connections at two 3-month programs per year...
. Herdrick served as the company's Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
, while Terhorst was Chief Technology Officer.
The blog The Wired Campus labelled the Biographicon "Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
for non-notables
Notability
Notability is the property of being worthy of notice, having fame, or being considered to be of a high degree of interest, significance, or distinction...
" in reference to the fact that unlike the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, the Biographicon did not have a notability threshold for inclusion, operating under the tagline "all the people of the world". Writing for The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, Rhodri Marsden
Rhodri Marsden
-Journalism:Rhodri Marsden currently writes a weekly column for The Independent called "Life On Marsden", and a monthly "Cyberculture" spread for the same newspaper about technology and the internet. He previously wrote The Observer Music Monthly's "Guitarist Wanted" column, which required him to...
commented that on the Biographicon, "anyone can put up details about themselves without fear of being nominated for deletion", though he noted that since the site operated using wiki software, "there's always the chance that someone will log in and alter your entry to include the time you cried on a school trip because someone stole your sandwiches." Ars Technica
Ars Technica
Ars Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...
describes it as "a potential "who's who
Who's Who
Who's Who is the title of a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biographical information on a particular group of people...
" of world history." Michael Arrington
Michael Arrington
J. Michael Arrington is the founder and former co-editor of TechCrunch, a blog covering the Silicon Valley technology start-up communities and the wider technology field in USA and elsewhere...
of TechCrunch
TechCrunch
TechCrunch is a web publication that offers technology news and analysis, as well as profiling of startup companies, products, and websites. It was founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, and was first published on June 11, 2005....
noted that it might have problems gaining traction.
On August 21, 2008, the website was shut down, due to what its founders called "insufficient user interest in the site." A brief attempt to restore the site soon afterward proved unsuccessful.