Image: Google

Late last week, Google announced that they were launching Sidewiki as part of the Google Toolbar. After talking it over a bit with my boss, we gave it a quick look and tested it out. While it initially seemed like a harmless add on, we saw some red flags that could smell bad news for companies both large and small.

Google paints Sidewiki as a way to bring social networking and reviews to every site across the Web, it also provides a breeding ground for unfiltered reviews that can affect conversions on companies Websites. On a few sites, affiliates had also added links to help customers get discounts on the site. While it may help the consumer, it could incur additional costs to the business. A quick look of their terms of service does not discourage this:

• Keep Sidewiki spam and malware free. Spam includes, but is not limited to, unwanted promotional or commercial content, or posts with gibberish such as keyword spamming.  We also don’t allow the transmission of malware, viruses, or anything that may disrupt the service or harm others. 
  
• Speak your mind without being hateful or threatening to others. Lively discussions can happen without posting hateful, threatening, harassing, or bullying content.  We encourage you to work out disputes or disagreements on your own. However, in serious or egregious cases, we will take action.
• Keep it legal. Don’t engage in unlawful activities on this product.  If we are notified of unlawful activities, we will take appropriate action, which may include removing access to Sidewiki, your Google account, or reporting you to the appropriate authorities.
• Respect copyright laws.  We will respond to clear notices of alleged copyright infringement.  Repeated infringement of intellectual property rights, including copyright, will result in account termination.  For more information on Google’s copyright policies, please see here
• Don’t post or link to sexually explicit material. Posts that are irrelevant and serve to drive traffic to material with nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit content are considered spam and aren’t allowed. We also don’t allow posts that promote unlawful or inappropriate sexual acts with or depictions of children or animals.
• Google has a zero-tolerance policy against child pornography. If we become aware of child pornography on our properties, the content will be removed and we will report it and its owners to the appropriate authorities.
• Don’t pretend to be someone else. We don’t allow impersonation of others or other behavior that is misleading or intended to be misleading.
• Don’t share personal or confidential information.  We don’t allow unauthorized publishing of people’s private and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s and other license numbers, or any other information that is not publicly accessible.

Despite the TOCs, there are a number of competing thoughts on this new product to the G-suite, a good point is made on PR squared and credited to Jeff Jarvis on the downside of this application:

Then there is the opposite effect: sites that already have their own communities and conversations (blogs and the like).  Jeff Jarvis pointed out the problem as he sees it:  Google is trying to co-opt the conversation that he feels he should own.  As far as blog owners and community folks go, I agree.  It’s hard enough to follow commentary about your content on places such as Facebook and Twitter, without a goliath like Google actively creating an “alternate universe” for you to keep tabs on.

Have you checked out Sidewiki? What do you think of it? Good or bad?

Image: Google

Late last week, Google announced that they were launching Sidewiki as part of the Google Toolbar. After talking it over a bit with my boss, we gave it a quick look and tested it out. While it initially seemed like a harmless add on, we saw some red flags that could smell bad news for companies both large and small.

Google paints Sidewiki as a way to bring social networking and reviews to every site across the Web, it also provides a breeding ground for unfiltered reviews that can affect conversions on companies Websites. On a few sites, affiliates had also added links to help customers get discounts on the site. While it may help the consumer, it could incur additional costs to the business. A quick look of their terms of service does not discourage this:

• Keep Sidewiki spam and malware free. Spam includes, but is not limited to, unwanted promotional or commercial content, or posts with gibberish such as keyword spamming.  We also don’t allow the transmission of malware, viruses, or anything that may disrupt the service or harm others. 
  
• Speak your mind without being hateful or threatening to others. Lively discussions can happen without posting hateful, threatening, harassing, or bullying content.  We encourage you to work out disputes or disagreements on your own. However, in serious or egregious cases, we will take action.
• Keep it legal. Don’t engage in unlawful activities on this product.  If we are notified of unlawful activities, we will take appropriate action, which may include removing access to Sidewiki, your Google account, or reporting you to the appropriate authorities.
• Respect copyright laws.  We will respond to clear notices of alleged copyright infringement.  Repeated infringement of intellectual property rights, including copyright, will result in account termination.  For more information on Google’s copyright policies, please see here
• Don’t post or link to sexually explicit material. Posts that are irrelevant and serve to drive traffic to material with nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit content are considered spam and aren’t allowed. We also don’t allow posts that promote unlawful or inappropriate sexual acts with or depictions of children or animals.
• Google has a zero-tolerance policy against child pornography. If we become aware of child pornography on our properties, the content will be removed and we will report it and its owners to the appropriate authorities.
• Don’t pretend to be someone else. We don’t allow impersonation of others or other behavior that is misleading or intended to be misleading.
• Don’t share personal or confidential information.  We don’t allow unauthorized publishing of people’s private and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s and other license numbers, or any other information that is not publicly accessible.

Despite the TOCs, there are a number of competing thoughts on this new product to the G-suite, a good point is made on PR squared and credited to Jeff Jarvis on the downside of this application:

Then there is the opposite effect: sites that already have their own communities and conversations (blogs and the like).  Jeff Jarvis pointed out the problem as he sees it:  Google is trying to co-opt the conversation that he feels he should own.  As far as blog owners and community folks go, I agree.  It’s hard enough to follow commentary about your content on places such as Facebook and Twitter, without a goliath like Google actively creating an “alternate universe” for you to keep tabs on.

Have you checked out Sidewiki? What do you think of it? Good or bad?

Image: Google

Late last week, Google announced that they were launching Sidewiki as part of the Google Toolbar. After talking it over a bit with my boss, we gave it a quick look and tested it out. While it initially seemed like a harmless add on, we saw some red flags that could smell bad news for companies both large and small.

Google paints Sidewiki as a way to bring social networking and reviews to every site across the Web, it also provides a breeding ground for unfiltered reviews that can affect conversions on companies Websites. On a few sites, affiliates had also added links to help customers get discounts on the site. While it may help the consumer, it could incur additional costs to the business. A quick look of their terms of service does not discourage this:

• Keep Sidewiki spam and malware free. Spam includes, but is not limited to, unwanted promotional or commercial content, or posts with gibberish such as keyword spamming.  We also don’t allow the transmission of malware, viruses, or anything that may disrupt the service or harm others. 
  
• Speak your mind without being hateful or threatening to others. Lively discussions can happen without posting hateful, threatening, harassing, or bullying content.  We encourage you to work out disputes or disagreements on your own. However, in serious or egregious cases, we will take action.
• Keep it legal. Don’t engage in unlawful activities on this product.  If we are notified of unlawful activities, we will take appropriate action, which may include removing access to Sidewiki, your Google account, or reporting you to the appropriate authorities.
• Respect copyright laws.  We will respond to clear notices of alleged copyright infringement.  Repeated infringement of intellectual property rights, including copyright, will result in account termination.  For more information on Google’s copyright policies, please see here
• Don’t post or link to sexually explicit material. Posts that are irrelevant and serve to drive traffic to material with nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit content are considered spam and aren’t allowed. We also don’t allow posts that promote unlawful or inappropriate sexual acts with or depictions of children or animals.
• Google has a zero-tolerance policy against child pornography. If we become aware of child pornography on our properties, the content will be removed and we will report it and its owners to the appropriate authorities.
• Don’t pretend to be someone else. We don’t allow impersonation of others or other behavior that is misleading or intended to be misleading.
• Don’t share personal or confidential information.  We don’t allow unauthorized publishing of people’s private and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s and other license numbers, or any other information that is not publicly accessible.

Despite the TOCs, there are a number of competing thoughts on this new product to the G-suite, a good point is made on PR squared and credited to Jeff Jarvis on the downside of this application:

Then there is the opposite effect: sites that already have their own communities and conversations (blogs and the like).  Jeff Jarvis pointed out the problem as he sees it:  Google is trying to co-opt the conversation that he feels he should own.  As far as blog owners and community folks go, I agree.  It’s hard enough to follow commentary about your content on places such as Facebook and Twitter, without a goliath like Google actively creating an “alternate universe” for you to keep tabs on.

Have you checked out Sidewiki? What do you think of it? Good or bad?

Image: Google

Late last week, Google announced that they were launching Sidewiki as part of the Google Toolbar. After talking it over a bit with my boss, we gave it a quick look and tested it out. While it initially seemed like a harmless add on, we saw some red flags that could smell bad news for companies both large and small.

Google paints Sidewiki as a way to bring social networking and reviews to every site across the Web, it also provides a breeding ground for unfiltered reviews that can affect conversions on companies Websites. On a few sites, affiliates had also added links to help customers get discounts on the site. While it may help the consumer, it could incur additional costs to the business. A quick look of their terms of service does not discourage this:

• Keep Sidewiki spam and malware free. Spam includes, but is not limited to, unwanted promotional or commercial content, or posts with gibberish such as keyword spamming.  We also don’t allow the transmission of malware, viruses, or anything that may disrupt the service or harm others. 
  
• Speak your mind without being hateful or threatening to others. Lively discussions can happen without posting hateful, threatening, harassing, or bullying content.  We encourage you to work out disputes or disagreements on your own. However, in serious or egregious cases, we will take action.
• Keep it legal. Don’t engage in unlawful activities on this product.  If we are notified of unlawful activities, we will take appropriate action, which may include removing access to Sidewiki, your Google account, or reporting you to the appropriate authorities.
• Respect copyright laws.  We will respond to clear notices of alleged copyright infringement.  Repeated infringement of intellectual property rights, including copyright, will result in account termination.  For more information on Google’s copyright policies, please see here
• Don’t post or link to sexually explicit material. Posts that are irrelevant and serve to drive traffic to material with nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit content are considered spam and aren’t allowed. We also don’t allow posts that promote unlawful or inappropriate sexual acts with or depictions of children or animals.
• Google has a zero-tolerance policy against child pornography. If we become aware of child pornography on our properties, the content will be removed and we will report it and its owners to the appropriate authorities.
• Don’t pretend to be someone else. We don’t allow impersonation of others or other behavior that is misleading or intended to be misleading.
• Don’t share personal or confidential information.  We don’t allow unauthorized publishing of people’s private and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s and other license numbers, or any other information that is not publicly accessible.

Despite the TOCs, there are a number of competing thoughts on this new product to the G-suite, a good point is made on PR squared and credited to Jeff Jarvis on the downside of this application:

Then there is the opposite effect: sites that already have their own communities and conversations (blogs and the like).  Jeff Jarvis pointed out the problem as he sees it:  Google is trying to co-opt the conversation that he feels he should own.  As far as blog owners and community folks go, I agree.  It’s hard enough to follow commentary about your content on places such as Facebook and Twitter, without a goliath like Google actively creating an “alternate universe” for you to keep tabs on.

Have you checked out Sidewiki? What do you think of it? Good or bad?