Wikipedia, a great place to start research but a lousy place to finish it, now has some competition. Citizendium is the brainchild of Jimmy Wales and Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger, and seeks to correct some of the problems of the Wikipedia universe:

We believe this project is necessary, and justified, because the world needs a more reliable free encyclopedia. We hope to create one by giving people a place to work under the direction of experts, and by expecting personal accountability--including the use of real names. In short, we want to create a responsible community and a good global citizen.

That sums up Citizendium's two big differences from Wikipedia. First, while editing of the encyclopedia is still open to anyone, all users must post using their real names. Second, articles will be monitored by subject area experts to ensure factual accuracy.

This is an interesting approach, in that not only is the website trying to earn public trust through these strategies, but everyone involved in the project will be potentially open for legal liability in the event of an inaccuracy. Thus, if a user makes a change similar to those made to pro golfer Fuzzy Zoeller's Wikipedia entry, not only could an aggrieved party sue the (now easily identifiable) user who made the edit, but also the sports expert who let it slip through, and perhaps Citizendium itself because it took on the responsibility of publishing accurate content by hiring that expert in the first place. Accuracy through fear, so to speak.

(via Out of the Jungle)