Are You Ready For Hidden Comments Using Google’s New SideWiki Toy?
Are you ready for hidden comments on your web sites? Not just blogs BTW, I am talking about all web pages. The comments will not appear on your site and you will have no control over them.
Google is releasing a new toy called SideWiki. It is what the name suggests, a Side Wiki. It is a tool that is downloaded and installed into your browser. As you are surfing it brings up comments that have been left by other SideWiki users. It will also display links to relevant sites – that is one area that should disturb those that include Google ad unites on their pages. Visitors will be able to click away – for free – you wont get paid a cent.
The idea is that as you are surfing, you leave comments on the fly, in the SideWiki, not on the site it self. I know I would prefer my visitors to leave their comments here, not in some sidebar hidden from most users.
Check out the video and tell me if you like Google’s new toy.
If the concept takes off – and that is a big if – it could have severe downsides for many websites.
Fortunately, this is one concept that I expect to see die in the A?. Most people don’t like installing toolbars, particularly if they get in the way of normal surfing – a sidebar probably will. Users will also have to create a Google profile to activate the SideWiki.
All-in-all, if I was a Google shareholder I would be disappointed in what they are spending their money on.
