Re: Google's Sidewiki

[Wes Young <wcyoung () BUFFALO EDU>]

Correct, google serves it, but from what i've heard there will be (or  
is) a least a way to signify that "i'm the site owner", at least  
giving you some identification in the comments (again, no sign  
control). There is also rumor of comment voting to help reduce spam,  
etc (slashdot/digg like).

i've been messing around with a bit, seems like an interesting (AOL  
walled garden like) idea [How soon until I don't leave google while  
i'm browsing? :)]

www.tiwt.tv/twig -- last show or two has discussed this (and wave) in  
depth if you want more detail. The do talk about the case of "thats  
terrible that people can comment w/o any control over it", but it IS  
hosted at google, so..  They're just wrapping the conversation around  
a search result.

Luckily at this stage in the game, it's just in the tool bar and not  
even in chrome (yet). They appear to be taking the stance "the real  
time web exists outside your domain", "the conversation is socially  
connected and exists outside your domain" and thats something we're  
all gonna have to get used to (I think?).

In my mind i'm thinking: At least google is actively centralizing the  
conversation around your site (unlike twitter / facebook / etc...  
where you have to search for the conversation first). People are gonna  
talk about your site whether we like it or not. If they can keep the  
comments useful and non-malicious, given the popularity of the other  
social tools out there, i think it will be an interesting tool. What I  
think would be neat; is if they brought not only their comment systems  
in, but also twitter (and/or FB) analytics too, so I could see what's  
being talked about right now for a particular domain. Instead of  
having to go to three different places to get the real-time thread.

I realize the difference between someone spamming maliciousness about  
you on twitter is slightly different than in a comment thread that  
appears to be "on your site" (i think thats almost a legal term right  
there :)), but in todays web, does that matter? what do the users want  
(remember; the sites aren't the consumers in this model)? I don't  
think the answer is "a tightly controlled comment structure around  
each particular site". I think users want "the information" about the  
product so they can be the judge (just like in search results).

Obviously my argument isn't very security (or even legal) friendly; i  
know that. But between this and wave, it's about bringing the "real  
time web" ... to the web. Which makes our jobs as security  
professionals harder. It will be interesting to see how this shapes  
out...

On Oct 9, 2009, at 4:38 PM, Mayne, Jim wrote:

> Google collects and serves out the content as far as I can tell. You  
> will have no control over it.
>
> Jim
>
> From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU 
> ] On Behalf Of Martin Manjak
> Sent: Friday, October 09, 2009 3:28 PM
> To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
> Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Google's Sidewiki
>
> Who actually serves the sidewiki content?
> Marty
>
> Mayne, Jim wrote:
> I was curious what other schools are thinking about Google’s new  
> Sidewiki tool. I am concerned about its possible use in creating  
> “graffiti” or malicious material alongside our productions web sites  
> as well as the personal sites of our faculty, staff and students.
>
> In addition of course there are the other issues such as marketers  
> using it to create their own link traffic off our visitors.
>
> http://www.google.com/sidewiki/intl/en/index.html
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsjJOsx84MA
>
>
> Jim
>
> Jim Mayne
> Director, Information Security Services
> Texas Christian University
> j.mayne () tcu edu
> (817) 257-6843
>
>
>
> --
> Martin Manjak
> Information Security Officer
> University at Albany
> CISSP, GIAC GSEC-G, GCIH, GCWN

--
Wes
http://claimid.com/wesyoung

Attachment: smime.p7s
Description: