That is also probably why Google usually ranks Wikipedia so highly. And that is another solution. Google can make known, trusted websites such as About.com, Wikipedia, Quirksmode, rank highly. They already do that based on domain name age and link backs, and it is part of the reason why it is so hard to rank highly when you start a new site.
Yeah, I think the domain name age is a real problem, since it creates a barrier to entry for new, better stuff, and slows down the evolution of the internet. Not sure how big the weight is, but combined with 10 years of link building, it can be very hard to topple a more established but inferior site.
Google can make known, trusted websites such as About.com, Wikipedia, Quirksmode, rank highly.
I thought this is what PageRank was supposed to determine algorithmically. I don't trust two out of three of your listed trusted websites, so this would devalue their service to me. Then again, they probably don't care much what I think, since I switched search engines months ago.
