Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has abandoned the Wikia Search project, launched in January 2008 in an attempt to break the world's addiction to Google's Internet search service.

Despite the tremendous growth of the Wikianswers Q&A site since it was re-launched in February, Wales believes that the Wikia Search has not been enjoying the kind of success that he had hoped.

"In a different economy, we would continue to fund Wikia Search indefinitely. It?s something I care about deeply. I will return to again and again in my career to search, either as an investor, a contributor, a donor, or a cheerleader," Wales wrote at his blog.

For now, the Wikia Search project will close its doors (as of March 31, 2009). Wales siad that he will be re-directing and refocusing resources on other Wikia.com properties, especially on Wikianswers.

Google remains the ruler of the US online search market, followed by Internet pioneer Yahoo and Microsoft in third place.

Wikia Search was backed by a Wikia Inc. firm launched by Wales and British Internet entrepreneur Angela Beesley in 2004.