http://google.com/sidewiki/

It's Google Toolbar's feature.
More at
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10359112-265.html

Official Blog Post:

<< Today, we're launching Google Sidewiki, which allows you to contribute helpful information next to any webpage. Google Sidewiki appears as a browser sidebar, where you can read and write entries along the side of the page.
[...]
We're releasing Google Sidewiki as a feature of Google Toolbar (for Firefox and Internet Explorer) and we're working on making it available in Google Chrome and elsewhere too. We also have the first version of our API available today to let anyone work freely with the content that's created in Sidewiki. >>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsjJOsx84MA

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/help-and-learn-from-others-as-you.html

And http://searchengineland.com/google-sidewiki-allows-anyone-to-comment-about-any-site-26420

A pity there isn't a toolbarless version (I know I can hide the toolbar, but that ain't quite the same :/). Oh well, might use it none the less if it gets enough attention.

There is even a leaderbord with Top Sidewiki authors.
http://www.google.com/sidewiki/leaderboard

I tried it but there's no way I could find to have a single toolbar with a sidewiki button and the Awesome bar and my 1Password button. Why not make a button that can go on the Firefox toolbar??? Others do it (e.g., Sharaholic).

So, like David Mulder, I will wait and see. Too bad – I like the idea a LOT!!

I'm a big Google fan. But I think, in this case, they may have been overly excited about releasing some (admittedly very cool) new technology and overlooked some of its implications.

I wrote about why I think so:

Google Sidewiki: Do [No?] Evil
http://faseidl.com/public/item/241498

And, again, they've inexplicably missed their own browser.

If you're going to make me happily use your browser due to it's nice speedy javascript, at least give us a Javascript bookmark button that gives us the approximate functionality of the really cool toolbar functions.

Didn't they have something like that a few years ago that let's users comment on any pages? I think it's a browser add-on too. (Not Google Notebook)

Haochi, I'm pretty sure they did, but I can't remember what it was called...

Found it http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/webcomments/

But apparently it only dealt with blogger posts...

Google also says that they're "working on making it available in Google Chrome and elsewhere too."

interesting comments here

http://www.buzzmachine.com/2009/09/23/google-sidewiki-danger/#comment-401722

Inquisitr argues it's bad for bloggers because the discussion is being taken away from the blog: http://www.inquisitr.com/38979/googles-sidewiki-is-a-bad-idea-very-bad/

Then again, tools like Friendfeed also open up discussions on another site and it's often very useful, because you may want to discuss something with a certain group of people (say, I may want to discuss a YouTube video with a certain group I like, and not with random other passers-by on the YouTube video page). This seems to be one benefit Sidewiki doesn't offer at the moment, as you're basically again thrown in with random other people...

It looks like they are preparing us for Google Wave ... This is one of the examples I saw during the presentation of Wave a few months ago.

people might spam with their comments… but i am already a fan of it… feel it might really help people on Ecomm sites

[Link removed – Tony]

Digital Inspiration developed a tool and a bookmarklet to view Sidewiki without installing the Google Toolbar and without sharing a link. You cannot write new Sidewiki entries with the tool: http://digitalinspiration.com/tools/google/sidewiki/

Use Google Sidewiki without the Google Toolbar
http://www.labnol.org/internet/google-sidewiki-without-google-toolbar/9959/

So his title "Use Google Sidewiki without the Google Toolbar" is wrong, because you cannot use the half of sidewiki...

PS: This feature is already full of spam :-|

David Mulder:

I wrote a toolbarless version you can get from here: http://www.designmeme.com/sidewinder/

It especially reminds me a lot of http://www.wikalong.org/ (well I guess it's the "wiki on the side" idea ;))

Ridiculous.

a) requires toolbar
b) inserts into web site (as far as end user concerns)
c) site owner can't delete content
d) site owner is now forced to play moderator again
e) great for competition, trolls, users who got banned, etc ..
f) can't opt-out

An API an opt-in instead of being forced-in and can't opt-out.

Ridiculous.

I like the intent of this APP but unless you set up a group of users, it's going to be spotty at best.

Also, that's a lot of "stuff" all over the window.

All that said, it sounds really cool and I'm going to try it.

[Signature removed ~ TOMHTML]