o you dream of becoming God?s gift to journalism? Before I scream ?Don?t do it!? let me tell you about a place to start.

Wikinews, created by the same folks who brought you Wikipedia, the online collaborative encyclopaedia, describes itself as the ?free-content news source that you can write!?

While this is a step above news blogs, the effort must be a nightmare to handle for the administrators, who must do the job that any responsible news editor would: ensure accuracy and fairness.

I assume they also live with the fear someone will put in a libellous article, exposing the effort to an expensive legal suit. Many of my more cynical colleagues might say the effort results in ?content-free? news.

But the effort is still in its infancy and one should not judge too harshly ?- yet. Is it about to become an alternative to standard news sources, such as Bermuda?s or the New York Times?

Personally I do not think so ? yet. According to an old adage in journalism, the only thing editorial sells is credibility, which means we get it right 99 per cent of the time.

And when we do not, we correct.

As New York mayor Michael Bloomberg once told me while he was running his Bloomberg news service: ?It?s not the established big player who is up and running that I?m afraid of, it?s the guy who is providing a service that is just good enough and cheaper who is going to eat my lunch.?

Wikinews is called an open-source community, meaning anyone can write and edit any of the news appearing in the publication as it happens.

If you spot a mistake or see the need for an update, you can make the change immediately. Each change is recorded in an accompanying file, so the editors can check who is credible and who should be banned.

Obviously the aim is to prevent the news site from being hijacked by a group with a political agenda.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, describes the project as an effort ?to collaboratively report and summarise news on all subjects from a neutral point of view?.

All the more power to the people.

I love competition, as it will only make the journalism profession better. Wikinews away my compatriots at www.wikinews.org. See you on the front page!

Internet users are gravitating to sites with news and entertainment content according to the latest data published by The Online Publishers Association (OPA).

The study, called the Internet Activity Index, showed an increase in traffic to content sites in March.

The study looks at consumers online, dividing Internet use into four categories: content, communications, commerce and search.

Of the four categories only e-commerce dipped slightly, to 17.8 per cent from 18.5 per cent.

Time spent at news and information sites sub-category increased by 31 per cent compared to the previous year.

In a review of 2004 the OPA said overall US consumer spending for online content reached $1.8 billion during the year on the strength of the entertainment/lifestyles sub category in the content section. ?This is a macro view of Web activity, through this macro view you can infer some things on what is happening in the culture at large,? the OPA said.

The Internet Activity Index and the 2004 study are available at for those about to embark on a career in the online publishing world.

Speaking of which, I can announce that I am now a working stiff again.

This week I just started a job in Montpellier as editor of the online publication Food Production Daily ().

The journal is one of 17 online publications started by two French marketing experts, who left their careers in the UK and Switzerland to found Novis Group in Montpellier.

The editorial section is made up of about 12 English-speaking reporters. Here we are, foreigners slaving away at words in a beautiful city in France. We could be anywhere, even the Kalahari desert, and the world would not know.

Previously I was editor of OffshoreOn.com, which my partners and I decided to fold in September after four years of operation.

It was a sad decision, mainly because I had put so much of my life into trying to make it succeed.

The two founders of Novis seem to know what they are doing.

Food Production Daily and three of the other publications are profitable.

My career in online journalism continues.

Check for security updates at . Contact Ahmed at ahmed.elaminwanadoo.fr.