Huntington Beach, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/15/2007 -- Centiare, the free Internet directory service that anyone can use, will be awarding $200 to the wiki editor whose Directory page design most impresses a select panel of five judges. A second prize of $50, plus honorable mention gifts of $25, will also be awarded on July 4th.

Co-founded by Karl Nagel and Gregory Kohs, the Centiare directory has been called the "anti-Wikipedia" for encouraging individuals and businesses to post articles about themselves –- a practice strictly forbidden by Wikipedia. Centiare contributors are encouraged to set up, protect, and promote their own directory pages. Initial contributors to Centiare include commercial enterprises, non-profit organizations, government entities, self-employed individuals, job-seekers, actors and artists.

"Wikipedia is known to reward its most productive editors with picture images of 'barnstars'. At Centiare, we give out money," said Kohs. Centiare is calling on contributors to create a new page on Centiare, utilizing all the best skills in generating original content, applying wiki markup, and designing a beautiful page. Entrants may choose any topic that is a legal entity, which has not yet been created on Centiare. This could include:

• Their self
• Their company
• A non-profit organization
• Their hometown
• Their favorite musician
• A website

Entries will be judged on a five-plank platform -– quality of content, use of wiki markup, style and beauty, monetization, and the overall reader experience. Applicants must submit their intention to participate before June 23, 2007, and the final entries are due June 30th.

The judging will be executed by Centiare’s co-developers, Nagel and Kohs; wiki design expert and screenwriter, Garrett Minks; graphic design professional, Cheryl Levy; and a 25-year veteran of the printing industry.

About Centiare:

Centiare is a free online directory powered by the same collaboration and editing software used by Wikipedia. Unlike Wikipedia -– which does not allow individuals or companies to post or edit articles about themselves -– Centiare enables contributors to set up, protect, and promote directory pages to tell their own stories. Among its benefits to users, Centiare takes wiki software to the next level with semantic tagging and other enhancements that facilitate search engine optimization (SEO). Since its launch, Centiare has been featured in major newspapers such as the Washington Post and the Philadelphia Inquirer, on sites such as MSNBC.com, and on the G4TV channel's "Attack of the Show".

References:

Centiare home page --
http://www.centiare.com

Information about the Centiare Prize --
http://www.centiare.com/Centiare_Prize_2007