Google experiments allowing users to leave notes about websites in search results
Google search does a pretty good job at finding you the most relevant content for the information you are searching for, but this is based largely on algorithms and it is usually kind of a secret as to how Google ranks its listings (this is done to prevent websites from gaming the system).
But it seems that Google understands that users would like a bit more context about a website before they visit it, which is why they have announced Notes. This is a new experimental feature part of Search Labs in which it will allow users to leave notes or read notes about a website.
“Notes are designed to work hand-in-hand with existing content on the web, adding a new layer of human insights to your search results. In this new experiment, you can get helpful context about a web page so you can better identify information that might be most useful for you — or you can share your expertise with the world.”
Basically it’s almost like a review of a website similar to product reviews, where you can get a better idea of what to expect before you visit that page and realize that it might not have the information that you were looking for.
We have to admit it’s a pretty awesome idea, but we’re also skeptical. The internet is not a particularly “nice” place as the ability to hide behind our screens and not use our real names allow users to post comments and say things they would not say in real life. This is why we’re not sure if Google will be able to keep Notes free of trolls and abusive language.
The company says that they will use algorithms and human moderation to protect it against harmful or abusive content, but we’ll have to wait and see if they can because we all know sometimes things can slip through the cracks.
Source: Google