“Google Sidewiki” appears as a narrow pop-up browser panel on the left hand side of a website and displays messages from users about the content of the page.<\/p>\n
The messages are visible to other users of Sidewiki who visit the site and they can post their own comments, but they cannot edit the comments of others.<\/p>\n
A website about museums in New York city, for example, would have a Sidewiki panel featuring relevant notes and comments from other visitors.<\/p>\n
Google, in a blog post, said Sidewiki was a way for Web users to contribute “insights” and “helpful information” next to any Web page.<\/p>\n
The Internet search and advertising giant said it had developed an algorithm to ensure that the “most useful, high-quality entries” are displayed at the top of a Sidewiki panel.<\/p>\n
Sidewiki is a feature of Google Toolbar for Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers and Google said it will be available soon for Google Chrome, its own Web browser.<\/p>\n
Google Sidewiki is similar to other services launched in the past and it met with mixed reviews from technology bloggers.<\/p>\n
Ars Technica said Sidewiki was “intriguing” but “it’s unclear if the service will really deliver a lot of value” and it could end up being “little more than a glorified comment system.”<\/p>\n
PaidContent.org said Sidewiki “may anger some online publishers who have commenting systems of their own that they’d prefer visitors continue to use.”<\/p>\n
A blogger for TechCrunch said he does not have high hopes for Sidewiki.<\/p>\n
“Marking up the Web has limited appeal to the average consumer,” he wrote.<\/p>\n