Several developers have tried to create a universal tool to leave and read comments about websites. None so far has been backed by a company that could reach the critical mass needed to make the program a success. That’s until now. Google introduced a new service integrated into Google’s Toolbar called Google Sidewiki recently.
Google Sidewiki allows Google Toolbar users to leave comments about any website or page that they are visiting. Comments that have been left by other users can be read by anyone but only users who are logged into a Google Account can leave comments.
Users can rate comments and only the most popular comments are displayed initially with the option to look at the rest of the comments on the next page. The Google Sidewiki team has released a video that is showcasing the functionality of it.
One of the problems that these kind of programs are facing is abuse of the system. Google tries to combat abuse with the rating system. It remains to be seen if this is good enough to keep internet marketers and spammers away from manipulating comments on popular websites.
The other problem that could turn down many users is the exclusive integration in the Google Toolbar. Users who do not want to install the toolbar can still read comments by using a method described at Digital Inspiration. Google Sidewiki can be downloaded at the Google website. It is compatible with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
Update: Google has discontinued Sidewiki. The service is no longer available. There does not seem to be a comparable service.
Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook or Twitter.Related Articles:
Google Sidewiki Firefox Add-onGoogle Sidewiki Page Owner Entries
G+me for Google Plus, Better Google+ Stream Collapsing
Gmail, Google Reader, Wave And Voice Notifier For Google Chrome
gReactions Adds Comments To Google Reader
The Google side wiki introduced is a great idea which has a lot of benefits.
What’s really funny is, it’s not available in Chrome yet. Firefox and IE only.
Google really want to enhance web user experience. By release this tool, they can take a further step on between web readers and site contents interaction.
Take a look to my article about sidewiki :
http://website-earn-money.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-sidewiki-debuted.html