Several collaborative family tree websites do exist, such as:
* WikiTree
* WeRelate
* OneGreatFamily
* Geni
* Family Pursuit
* FamilySearch Family Tree
The problem with collaborative trees in my view is that there are simply too few people contributing to them to ensure that all the data is validated. Genealogy in itself is more of an art than a science; we have to interpret records and draw the most likely conclusion based on the evidence. Little is ever an absolute certainty. And for that reason I do not think that collaborative trees will ever be successful (from the perspective of creating an accurate family tree).