You ready to put some “digital graffiti” around the web? Think back to 200o and that’s what it was referred to as. Fast forward nearly a decade and now that Internet users are so much more sophisticated 
it is called a wiki, or more specifically Google Sidewiki.
Google Sidewiki allows anyone to make comments, even post video onto a side window of your website. A sort of “digital graffiti” if you will. Whats unique about it is that you have to do nothing but add the plug in to your browser and you can comment on any website. So see something you like on this website, make a comment in the Sidewiki. Want to debate a post that’s made? Add it in the Sidewiki. I have started the first of the comments on this website, which you can see in the picture above.
The History of Comments Everywhere
What’s interesting to me is that this concept is not new, remember Third Voice? Back in 2000, that caused a huge storm with site owners complaining that anyone could make a comment on their site and nothing could be done about it. It was likened to “web graffiti” and the website owners created a huge backlash toward it.
The Future of Comments Everywhere
Well fast forward now almost a decade and were about to see something similar. Only this time the web is much more grown up, kind of. People are commenting on sites in mass, website owners realize in many cases that the power has shifted to the user. Google Sidewiki is another attempt to make the entire web one giant conversation for all. Some things that they have done different from the past mistakes. One they are allowing site owners to make the first comments and two they are allowing the wisdom of the crowd to vote up or down comments that they like. The thought being that any spam or negative comments will ultimately be voted down and therefore not become a problem.
One sign that an idea may be gaining traction is when you start to see other companies entering the space. The latest entry is dotspots and if you haven’t see the video of what it does you need to check it out. It is a more elegant and “integrated” solution than Sidewiki. The dotspots, as they are called, can be created on any website creating what is like a link. By clicking on the link the dotspot is expanded and the comments, video, pictures, additional links are brought up on screen. It really is an amazing interactive experience. The dotspots not only link to additional content, but also allow conversation to occur and contribution from others to be aggregated all to one place.
Comments Everywhere, Now What?
So as an entrepreneur whats all of this mean to you. Well first I would install Google Sidewiki and play with it. As you go from site to site see if others have made comments and make your own. Of course I would definitely make the first comment on all the sites you own. As with most new technologies only time and adoption will determine whether this is a hit or is destined for the Internet wastelands. However as I’ve said before, the future of business websites is one where the community can contribute and make comments. So the way I look at it we can either provide the forum for this to take place and participate or our customers will create it themselves. I’m not convinced that Sidewiki will gain traction, but we’ll see. I would much rather allow comments on my site then leave it to some area that may or may not attack users. I don’t know are people really going to want to see more comments if you have a place for them now? I doubt it.
Do you think Google Sidewiki will gain widespread adoption or fall to the wayside? Let me know, leave a comment by clicking on the “comments” title below.
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