Google SideWiki —
I've just installed the new Google SideWiki. This Sidewiki entry doubles as a blog post. Some are writing that SideWiki is a game changer, that now suddenly we have a cross-blog commenting tool. But I'm not so sure.
Google continues to introduce apps that effectively keep track of online activity, and that worries me. Who owns that? Did you read the Terms and Conditions of SideWiki before agreeing to install it? I didn't. But note that Google is prescribing a good behaviour code for use, when as far as my blog is concerned, that should be my sole responsibility--if somebody vilifies me on my blog, I reserve the right to keep or remove the comment.
I've been using Co-comment to keep track of my comments across the blogosphere. While it hasn't been technically perfect, it suffices as an archive of my past activity. SideWiki, on the other hand, does not seem to be connected directly to various blog comment systems. It's like a sticky notes app that's served and public rather than limited to a single computer and browser.
If somebody wants to comment on my blog entry, I'd rather that they did it directly on my blog, not SideWiki. Perhaps I'm missing something here.
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Hi, for me the 'game changing' nature of side wiki is not the ability to comment on sites like blogs that already invite comments but is the ability to comment on more traditional 'information out' sites such as a lot of corporate and government sites. It really means these people who do not welcome input have nowhere to hide.
However, I agree completely with your points about Google policing this and also think that the lack of transparency in removal and ranking policies is problematic.
Posted by Matthew Crozier 13 October 2009 11:03 am | link
Thanks, Matt!
Posted by rlubensky 13 October 2009 11:21 am | link