Community Networking: Are you ready for Google Sidewiki?

On 23 September, Google announced on its official blog the launch of Google Sidewiki, a new feature that can revolutionize the way how to manage reputation online.

While the media have focused on Google Wave, minorities tool, if Google succeeds Sidewiki seen an upheaval that will transform the current status quo on the Internet.

What is Google Sidewiki?
An application that allows you leave comments on any web page on the left side of it, without the owner of the page can do nothing (or nothing) about it.

In fact, Google itself and not the page owner, who decides, through an algorithm (ah, the mysterious algorithms ...), the order of those comments.

They have also released the first version of its API, so that any developer can improve or find new uses for the tool.

How do I download Google Sidewiki?
Currently, it is an add-on available for Explorer and Firefox, and soon to Chrome. Just having it installed you can read or write comments other users leave (enter google.com / sidewiki to instalártelo).

What opinions has raised Sidewiki?
Given the characteristics somewhat "revolutionary" tool (see below for examples), the views raised are far from unanimous praise to any new Google product.
Jeff Jarvis is defined with one word: "Danger." Affirms that creates a conflict between Google and the content creator, to divert the focus of the discussion page of the creator's own Google. Unlike other services of the company's search engine, in this case they want to become the "center".

According to the blog of Luis Galan, Sidewiki going "straight to the water line of other digital actors," leave it up to the quality of Google shares, and thus create a serious traffic accounting to media, to move the conversation from its origin to the Google field.

Josh Bernoff, a more practical level, defines it as if "Google suddenly rent space in your blog, and invited to monitor and publicize the new movement from the start.

Personally, I think that despite the reasonable doubts that may be, Google will be very beneficial for sidewiki force many companies and institutions which were not raised to establish a dialogue with the community to "take the bull by the horns" and understand, once, which no longer exist unilateral speeches.

In fact, this is already happening on sites that were not even asked to collect opinions of others, as the sites of PP and PSOE, the SGAE, or even the website of the Royal Family (in this case I break a lance in favor of the google algorithm efficiency, a "ready" had left a comment on the website of the Royal House announced his computer company, reported it, and within hours he was not).

All these institutions will have to awaken from their slumber and face the reality of Web 2.0, like it or not.

I have a website, what should I do?
You own a website or blog, or marketer, you face a new movement can not ignore. Without missing a beat you must:

1 - Download Sidewiki, and monitor all the comments on your website
2 - Important: Reclaiming the "ownership" of your website.

Sidewiki Google gives you that option, identify yourself as the owner of the web on google sidewiki. For this, the first step is to use "Google Webmaster Tool s" to show that you are the owner of the page. This enables you to identify yourself on google subsequently be sidewiki as the owner of your page and leave a comment of welcome.

Future:
Sidewiki can be as a tool for minorities, or almost total change of the actual scenario. In either case, we must be prepared and use this new "weapon" in favor of our interests.

More Info | Web Strategy
In Google | Google Sidewiki Help

Note: If you want to know more about my work or my interests you can read my blog, Community on the net, or follow me on twitter, @ joseantoniogall.

Series 'Community Network' Jose Antonio Gallego etc:

- Business and innovation of open APIs
- The Mayo Clinic and Social Media strategy, a success story