Google has just rolled out SideWiki, a Google Toolbar option that when triggered will display a sidebar facility where anyone can add comment and publish it to the web for others to see and read.
The Sidewiki entries will be displayed based on relevancy determined by a new algorithm. This algorithm will determine the most useful, high-quality entries based on feedback from other users, previous entries made by the same author and other signals which Google deemed important in determining the importance of a Sidewiki entry.
To add more insights about a particular page, Sidewiki will also bring in relevant blog posts and other sources which discusses a particular web page.
Google Sidewiki is a Google Toolbar feature currently available only for Firefox and Internet Explorer. Sidewiki for Chrome will be available later. Google is also releasing the first version of the Sidewiki API for developers.
You can start using Sidewiki by downloading the newest version o f Google Toolbar with Sidewiki as one of the feature at google.com/sidewiki.
Sidewiki seems to be a pretty nice feature but what’s really not clear is whether it would be an “annotation” or “commenting” feature that is universal in nature. The good thing about it is that it uses your Google account, so you are pretty sure that comments posted on your web page will be coming from Google account holders. Although it would be very easy to abuse this by online hecklers who can easily create a bogus Google account and start spamming a particular site using Sidewiki.
What do you think? Do you see yourself using Sidewiki to annotate your favorite site?
simply superb, this will really help us to increase our visibility while getting first hand information about any website…
A disaster waiting to happen. I can think of so many ways that this could be used to for malicious purposes. The only thing that I want is an opt-out for all of my websites.
Until Google dumps this or provides an opt out, web site owners who’d like to retain control of what appears on their own site can block all Google Toolbar users by adding the following to their htaccess file. The “notoolbar.php” points to a file explaining Google’s bad behavior and instructing the visitor to uninstall Google Toolbar in order to proceed. You can create your own file and name it whatever you like, just be sure to change the code below to make it match the file name you’ve chosen.
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} GTB [NC]
RewriteRule .* notoolbar.php [L]
You can already comment on websites, but the feature currently does not work well. Most users will ignore this feature, while others will spam the hell out of it.
Interesting idea, cs1380.
But what repercussions do you suppose that might have on your position in the SERPs?
I don’t think this should even be opt-out. It should be opt-IN!
Doc,
Are you implying deliberate retaliation or that sites that allow SideWiki will rank higher by virtue of algorithmic Google voodoo?
SideWiki is useless.
As a consumer protection device it fails. Faced with unsubstantiated complaints and unsubstantiated praise for a site, which do you believe?
As a communication tool it fails. It isolates conversations. If you want to say something about a site then email or post on Facebook or Twitter.
It’s only function is as a means to spam or just talk trash.
I think there’s a potential for retaliation, against sites that disable entry by people using a Google tool, yes. I also think that the possibility exists that their algorithm could possibly give preference to those that allow it. The biggest potential I see, and one that I suspect you share my suspicion of, is that it has tremendous potential for abuse by competitors, disgruntled employees, bored ne’er do wells, etc. I just don’t like the idea at all. If they follow through with it, I will probably take my chances and disable it, but it really ticks me off to even have to do so.
There is now a free script that blocks SideWiki comments without blocking or redirecting all GTB users. The site below is the only one I know of that currently has it available. There are others working on additional scripts that may be even more transparent to visitors.
http://www.warriorforum.com/main-internet-marketing-discussion-forum/128256-if-you-want-take-stand-against-google-encroaching-your-rights-sidewiki-now-time-5.html