Google  unleashes a new tool – Google Sidewiki to help users share their experiences and thoughts about a topic posted on web sites or blogs.  

Function like posting comments, Google Sidewiki allows users to give their feedback after reading a post or an article. It is supposed to help other users to browse more useful tips based on the reader’s experiences, add more background information or add new perspective on new technology.

To make use of Google Sidewiki,  TG has  to download  a new Google tool bar which comes with Sidewiki. After installing the Google tool bar, a new icon titled “Sidewiki” will be displayed. Click on it, the web page or blog post will be divided into 2 parts with the Google Sidewiki on the left.

Google-sidewiki on new Google toolbar, photo courtesy of Google

Google-sidewiki on new Google toolbar, photo courtesy of Google

Should you dislike for any reason, you can change the settings or disable it.  User experience-wise, TG thinks it is quite easy to handle. No fuss!

Although it has wiki as part of its name, other users cannot revise or update the comments; they can however, vote for its usefulness and report abuse if it is not done properly. Sean Carton from ClickZ says we are no longer have total control on our brand online.

Sidewiki might not be a new concept, but for today’s marketers it’s sure to raise a huge stink. Heck, when I mentioned it to a colleague, his first words were, “Sean, that’s the end of the world!” I’m sure he’s not alone in that feeling.

The reality is that Sidewiki represents something that’s been clear since the Web began: there’s nowhere for bad companies to hide anymore. If you’re creating crappy products or delivering services that don’t meet expectations you’ve been setting with your marketing, people will know. Sure, it may have been more difficult for them to find out before social media because they had to surf discussion boards or opinion sites to get others’ opinions. Sidewiki just makes it a lot easier, a lot more immediate, and a lot more closely linked to your brand.

If you’re a webmaster, you can create a webmaster sidewiki entry on your own site. Your most recent entry will appear with a green background at the top of the Sidewiki sidebar, above other entries.

You can try it out yourself!

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