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by Jerry Liao, Philippines

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Pros and cons of Google SideWiki

Sep 25, 2009 07:50

Just recently, Google announced a new service called SideWiki, where it allows users to contribute helpful information next to any Web page. Google Sidewiki appears as a browser sidebar, where users can read and write entries along the side of the page.

Initially, SideWiki will be available to those who are using Firefox and Internet Explorer as a feature of Google Toolbar. Soon it will also be available to Google Chrome.

While Google said anonymous postings won't be allowed so that profiles and integrity can be tracked, one surely knows that people with ill intentions can always create numerous bogus accounts and start posting destructive comments to any sites they want.

Spam can also be all over. I won't be surprised to see promotional messages on the side of popular Web sites that are related to their products and services. Will Google monitor this?

I have two more concerns here--one, a Web site can get negative comments from competitors or from people who wants to bring down the site, and second, Web sites can also get positive reviews from their own people or from friends. Meaning how can Google guarantee the integrity and authenticity of the side comments? Will this be a "surfer beware" thing?

Google SideWiki is something useful if people will use it wisely. Added information to an already existing information is always good, but if this service is to be used to ruin or to promote a site falsely, then the problem starts.

God bless us all!

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Codet

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Codet says...
To increase interactivity with the visitors and running with the theme of making the sites more "Web 2.0", almost every site you visit has some kind of commenting option available to the visitor.

The SideWiki might assure the webmasters at least some kind of spam filter would be in place (by Google nonetheless). We might actually see webmasters opting for this SideWiki than the built-in comment system.

Hmm, I wonder if Google itself would start advertising using AdSense in the SideWiki!

Sep 25, 2009 17:02

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About Jerry Liao

Jerry Liao is an IT consultant in the Philippines who conducts seminars on various tech topics. He is a regular columnist of Manila Bulletin, a member of the academe, a system developer and a system analyst. He is a frequent fixture in press conferences and tech launchings, most of which are posted at infochat.com.ph. He loves to tinker with the latest gadgets and gizmos, but his most cherish possession are his children.