Could Google Toolbar With Sidewiki Hurt Social Bookmarking?
Do you have Google Toolbar With Sidewiki installed?
If yes, please, watch the navigation bar of your browser.
I am using Firefox and noticed a hashtag after the URL in many instances. Not always, so I am not sure about a pattern, yet. When I turn Sidewiki off in the toolbar this effect disappears. Here is the proof.
Google Toolbar Seems To Interfere With Other Browser Add-ons
If yes, please, watch the navigation bar of your browser.
I am using Firefox and noticed a hashtag after the URL in many instances. Not always, so I am not sure about a pattern, yet. When I turn Sidewiki off in the toolbar this effect disappears. Here is the proof.
Google Toolbar Seems To Interfere With Other Browser Add-ons
Shortly before the page finishes loading I see #atssh-linked appended to the url for the fraction of a second, then it changes to # and stays there. The great problem with this kind of URL manipulation is social bookmarking plugins, bookmarklets, and if you save a bookmark use this URL with the appended #.
This could dilutes some of your social bookmarking efforts since, index.html and index.html# are considered two different URLs by some social bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon for example. Digg and Reddit seem to handle it well though.
Ouch.
Am I dreaming or does someone else share a similar observation?
Yours
John W. Furst
Update - P.S.: Some Sidewiki blocking scripts (javascript) are based on the fact that Sidewiki currently uses the named anchor ("#" that last part of an URL) as part of a unique key for the its comments. One blocking script creates a different random named fragment for each visitor in the browser, like #hyUJ5678, #mj8tgRf, #wert66EDa, etc. The result: Sidewiki comments become invisible because every visitor writes them on a different URL even though it's on the same page.
While this is used as an exploit right now, it reveals a major design flaw which unfortunately for the blocking script can be fixed rather easily. Besides that it's just a usability issue.
Google finally pays attention to those fragment identifiers within a page. And they can be quite useful for the user experience if used correctly, however, seems the Sidewiki development team didn't pay much attention. I imagine, it won't take long till it is fixed. Then the blocking script magically stops to work and all Sidewiki comment suddenly rise back into existence.
This could dilutes some of your social bookmarking efforts since, index.html and index.html# are considered two different URLs by some social bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon for example. Digg and Reddit seem to handle it well though.
Ouch.
Am I dreaming or does someone else share a similar observation?
Yours
John W. Furst
Update - P.S.: Some Sidewiki blocking scripts (javascript) are based on the fact that Sidewiki currently uses the named anchor ("#" that last part of an URL) as part of a unique key for the its comments. One blocking script creates a different random named fragment for each visitor in the browser, like #hyUJ5678, #mj8tgRf, #wert66EDa, etc. The result: Sidewiki comments become invisible because every visitor writes them on a different URL even though it's on the same page.
While this is used as an exploit right now, it reveals a major design flaw which unfortunately for the blocking script can be fixed rather easily. Besides that it's just a usability issue.
Google finally pays attention to those fragment identifiers within a page. And they can be quite useful for the user experience if used correctly, however, seems the Sidewiki development team didn't pay much attention. I imagine, it won't take long till it is fixed. Then the blocking script magically stops to work and all Sidewiki comment suddenly rise back into existence.
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UK Marketing King on :
Interesting but I do not see this in my firefox.