Following the harsh response to its alpha launch last week, Wikia’s founder Jimmy Wales argued that the tool will take time to mature, just as Wikipedia took time.

But although Wikia’s incorporation of human feedback into search could bring positive results and transparency, the site will rely on real search enthusiasts spending many hours sharing their preferences for it to be enhanced.

And while it is important to remember this was only an alpha release, IT Week Labs experienced difficulties with basic tasks such as accessing links from Wikia’s home page and signing up from an Internet Explorer browser.

There is a good reminder here of why firms should avoid over-hyping new technology. If it fails to meet basic expectations, serious disappointment will inevitably follow.