Google recently released a new browser plug-in called Google Sidewicki.  This allows users to add and read comments on any webpage on the internet.  This is installed together with Google Toolbar and works with both Internet Explorer and Firefox.  Google said they are currently working on integrating this with Google Chrome and other browsers as well.

I’m not really a fan of toolbars, I think they’re just clutter on  my browser.  But this cool universal comment system on the web would probably be a good thing to have.  This would be a good way to get info from other people about the reliability of the website and a good source for more information about the website as well.  I just wish we could have this as a stand-alone tool though.

However, I believe this could also be prone to abuse as well.  Uncontrolled comments from website might turn out to vandalism.  Google already thought of this as well and they’ve worked out algorithms to display the most high-quality entries on top rather than the common recent-entry-on-top style.  As per google..

We worked hard from the beginning to figure out which [entries] should appear on top and how to best order them. So instead of displaying the most recent entries first, we rank Sidewiki entries using an algorithm that promotes the most useful, high-quality entries. It takes into account feedback from you and other users, previous entries made by the same author and many other signals we developed.

This is a free download for Internet Explorer and Firefox.   Get more info about Google Sidewicki from the official Google Blog.

Today Google is releasing a new open source plug-in that will bring HTML5 and other open web technologies to Internet Explorer.  Based on Google’s Chromium Blog, this plug-in once installed will allow IE users to experience the speedy performance of Google’s WebKit-based rendering engine.   Introducing – Google Chrome Frame.

From Google’s Blog:

“We’re building Google Chrome Frame to help web developers deliver faster, richer applications like Google Wave. Recent JavaScript performance improvements and the emergence of HTML5 have enabled web applications to do things that could previously only be done by desktop software. One challenge developers face in using these new technologies is that they are not yet supported by Internet Explorer. Developers can’t afford to ignore IE — most people use some version of IE — so they end up spending lots of time implementing work-arounds or limiting the functionality of their apps.”

All you have to do is download the plug-in.  Once installed, Google Chrome Frame begins to function automatically.  Users will then enjoy web page rendering at blazing speeds, and as well as enjoy the latest web technologies at the benefit of using the same familiar interface of the IE browser they are  using.

With this in the works, it looks like Google is heating up the war against IE wouldn’t you say?