Last week, Google rolled out the latest scheme for world domination feature for their Toolbar: Google SideWiki. In effect, it’s an add-on that allows you to comment on any web page–either a particular snippet of text or the page as a whole. Here’s the video:
As you see, this is less a wiki–that is, a system that lets you edit others’ content and organization–than, as LifeHacker described it, a “universal commenting system for the web.” Google makes two pretty startling claims: first, that they’ve worked out an algorithm that will allow cream to rise, and, second, that they’ll be policing the comments for ones that are beyond some sort of pale.
Obviously, this is a new tool and we’ll have to see how it plays out. But here are some quick thoughts:
Pros: Simple commenting for all, linked to a Google Profile. As we saw earlier, there are advantages to presenting a consistent identity across the web. Separates out comments from content, so that sites that eschew comments can continue to do so.
Cons: Separates comments from content, in a way that the page’s author can’t easily accommodate. (See, for example, Jeff Jarvis’s post + accompanying comments. Since his site has comments enabled, there’s this weird splitting of the conversation.) Google’s other site with lots of comments is hardly a model of decorum. You have to cruft up your browser with Google Toolbar. (But! See this hack to read SideWiki comments without the toolbar. Still can’t post, obviously.) You have to use a Google Profile, giving up even more data to the company.
I can’t figure out whether this has pedagogical value or not. And I’m not crazy about the Toolbar. What do y’all think? Hit? Miss? Let us know in comments!!
Image is a screenshot of this tweet by @hotdogsladies.
Comments
1. Brian Croxall - September 28, 2009 at 02:20 pm
In principle, I like the idea that you can now comment on anything that exists on the web. What I'm less enthusiastic about is twofold: first, the lack of ability for the site's author(s) to control that commenting and, second, the trouble of having to install the Google toolbar. If you have to install a tool to use it, then it's really not accessible to everyone that's online. I haven't used Google's Toolbar since I moved to Firefox, which had a search bar built in and got rid of pop-ups for me.
2. Julie Meloni - September 28, 2009 at 02:55 pm
I've decided to write a SideWiki / Reframe It smackdown -- I mean comparison -- because commenting on anything that exists on the web isn't new, and there is a method that doesn't require the weight of the Google Toolbar. Even I, who pretty much loves all things Google, won't install the toolbar. So, I'm going to watch this comment area with interest to see reactions like yours (and unlike yours, too, I suppose) so I can write a good little ProfHacker post.
Or, I'll wait a few days and just link to whatever ReadWriteWeb says, as per usual. :)
3. Janice - September 28, 2009 at 04:56 pm
I remember "Third Voice" that came out in the late 90s when I did some side work for a dotcom. This stuff is poison to the commercial sites and, indeed, anyone who's really concerned about having control over their website. The potential for mischief in comments is endless. Even if there is a redress, that will inevitably lag behind. Verdict? Don't think this will make it much out of beta before it fades away or 4chan utterly destroys it!
4. Larry Cebula - September 28, 2009 at 11:00 pm
You should see what I have written about you people on the side wiki to this page!
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