Google is doing evil with SideWiki

The company that vowed to "Do no evil" has really crapped the bucket with SideWiki. For those who aren't aware, SideWiki is a completely open wiki-type commenting system that appears on the side of your website.

Users who install the Google toolbar can leave comments on any website - any comments - without any kind of control or moderation by the website owner, blogger, etc.

If you are the leading provider of services in an area, paying Adwords lots of money (or even if you aren't and don't) then one of your competitors, disgruntled employees or just an idiotic teenager with a warped sense of humor can write comments on your frontpage.

Yep. The page you spent money for (or time and effort) can now be hijacked by anyone:

• link to their own page.
• say negative or slanderous things.
• demean your product.

They always had the option of using twitter or myspace or any one of a thousand review sites, but never before could they actually do it right on your website.

There is no way to erase them.  There is no way to block them without using complex workarounds.  You can't even post your own opinions in the SideWiki on your page without first proving that you are really the owner of the page.

Time to turn up the heat.
Google SideWiki Forums