Free ratings and reviews plugin... from google.

[gabrielcrowe]

http://www.google.com/friendconnect/

This is Google's new widget based social tool.

It allows you to add some pretty neat widgets to any site, Actinic or otherwise. One of these cool widgets is a ratings widget.

I have implemented it to replace the simple comments tool I wrote on http://www.skateasylum.co.uk/ (http://www.skateasylum.co.uk/acatalog/anarchy-bulletproof-elbow-ramp-pads.html) It took me less than 15 mins, to put everything in place, very well put together.

They have chat, messageboard and other neat toys, as well as any plugin from the opensocial (http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial/) network.

The site widgets let your customers use their yahoo, google, aol or openid, amongst other logins and passwords, to log into your site, and participate.

So, lets see some implimentations, and if anyone can make any cool widgets!

oh, btw:
widget, widget, widget, widget, widget, widget, widget, widget.

[pinbrook]

looks cool Gabe, i think alot of site could benefit from adding social networking features such as the offerings from google, amazon wishlist and facebook pages. Use these 3 effectively and you will have much less reliance of google serps.

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

Does the Ratings Widget require the reviewer to have an existing account or sign in or can anybody leave a review

[Kirk]

The Internet - Soon to be renamed "Googlenet".

Widget. In 1982, my teacher in business class always used that word for what I thought (at the time) was a fictional product. Maybe she knew more than she was letting on...but if she was so smart, why did we have to detail a business plan that included building a factory for widgets?

[gabrielcrowe]

a setting in your google will allow anonymous posting.

[Darren B]

I have been playing with this aswell, after Gabe pointed me to it yesterday, http://www.kitesrus.co.uk/acatalog/HQ_Symphony_1.8.html however i have had problems with it on multiple pages seems to only show once for me

Be interested to know what others come up with, has some natty features and im sure this is going to grow, and extension to the social networking that is likely to produce some even more impressive widgets

[Darren B]

OK multiple product pages have an issue with this, namely due to google does not like the use of div-1233251796728 more than once. Now this number seems to be random generated everytime you click generate code.

So how can we work around this, well the long winded way is to make multiple copies of your product layout and insert the different code in each one, the problem is you have to remember to change each product layout on multiple product pages.

now with a bit of php i have generated this number randomly (well a different number each time) the problem i have is i have no idea how i can insert this number or if it is even possible to, into the div or if it would actually work?

the number needs to be inserted <div id="div-1233161904223" style="width:575px;border:1px solid #cccccc;"></div>

anyone have any ideas or another way of doing this.

D

[Rich Brady]

I've not looked at this at all Darren, but could you use the ProductID variable?

[RuralWeb]

This is the same problem that the amazon universal wish list has with multi product pages.

I have been hearing that Google is shutting down some of its free services so I personally would be wary of using this as reviews are valuable and I would hate to loose them if G decided to close the service.

[Darren B]

I've not looked at this at all Darren, but could you use the ProductID variable?


Ok this code appears in the javascript aswell, but i all ready user ProductRef, this is another part of the code so google can already see the difference between products, just seems a little odd. Perhaps there is another reason for the is number?

I have been hearing that Google is shutting down some of its free services so I personally would be wary of using this as reviews are valuable and I would hate to loose them if G decided to close the service.

Maybe, but the review part of the google friends beta is only a small part of it this has the potential for lots of other things in social networking. Time will tell i guess

[RuralWeb]

this has the potential for lots of other things in social networking. Time will tell i guessIt looks great and I will certainly be adding it to some sites.

[jont]

Ok this code appears in the javascript aswell, but i all ready user ProductRef, this is another part of the code so google can already see the difference between products

Set it up with 2 different variables aProductId and bProductId ... fix an alpha character to the front to avoid killing scripts with numerals... this will generate unique id's for all products so multi product pages are not an issue.

[RuralWeb]

Just thrown it onto a new site Im playing with at http://www.affordablegroup.co.uk/karcher/karcher-DE_4002_STEAM_CLEANER.html

[Darren B]

Set it up with 2 different variables aProductId and bProductId ... fix an alpha character to the front to avoid killing scripts with numerals... this will generate unique id's for all products so multi product pages are not an issue.


OK this is google code so nothing is simple, the numbers are generated by google you customise your apperance and generate the code, it has a couple of parts to it. You have the option to put your id in for identification. You cant replace googles code but you can add your part numbers to it, i user ProductReference and the code then uses the part number, so each review is asscociated to that product.

The problem i see is google wont display the review boxes if its number is repeated, so it works for spp's and only the 1st product on multiple product pages will have a review box, but wont show for the other products because its code has already been used.

What i was after was a way of generating a 13 digit number and inserting it into googles code, i can generate a random 13 digit number with php but dont know if its possible to insert it without breaking the gogle code

<!-- Include the Google Friend Connect javascript library. -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/friendconnect/script/friendconnect.js"></script>
<!-- Define the div tag where the gadget will be inserted. -->
<div id="div-1233259189178" style="width:282px;border:1px solid #cccccc;"></div>
<!-- Render the gadget into a div. -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var skin = {};
skin['BORDER_COLOR'] = '#cccccc';
skin['ENDCAP_BG_COLOR'] = '#e0ecff';
skin['ENDCAP_TEXT_COLOR'] = '#333333';
skin['ENDCAP_LINK_COLOR'] = '#0000cc';
skin['ALTERNATE_BG_COLOR'] = '#ffffff';
skin['CONTENT_BG_COLOR'] = '#ffffff';
skin['CONTENT_LINK_COLOR'] = '#0000cc';
skin['CONTENT_TEXT_COLOR'] = '#333333';
skin['CONTENT_SECONDARY_LINK_COLOR'] = '#7777cc';
skin['CONTENT_SECONDARY_TEXT_COLOR'] = '#666666';
skin['CONTENT_HEADLINE_COLOR'] = '#333333';
skin['DEFAULT_COMMENT_TEXT'] = '- add your review here -';
skin['HEADER_TEXT'] = 'Ratings';
skin['POSTS_PER_PAGE'] = '5';
google.friendconnect.container.setParentUrl('/' /* location of rpc_relay.html and canvas.html */);
google.friendconnect.container.renderReviewGadget(
{ id: 'div-1233259189178',
site: '08928253217638742519',
'view-params':{"disableMinMax":"false","scope":"ID","docId":"ProductReference","startMaximized":"true"}
},
skin);
</script>

this is the review code you insert

Hope that makes more sense

D

ps looks Good Mal

[RuralWeb]

It's an impressive widget and will have andy at codepath hitting the drink!!

I can see I'm going to be busy adding it to lots of sites over the next few weeks!

[Darren B]

OK on this page here http://www.kitesrus.co.uk/acatalog/dual_line_power_kites.html i have it setr to use duplicates as it is an MPP's the main products are on SPP's, i have created 5 product layouts and called them google 1, google 2 e.t.c and just changed the number in each of these everythign else is the same.

As you can see it now allows for product ratings on MPP's not to bad if you only have a few items but could take a while on longer pages. I have used exactly the same layouts on other MPP's and they work aswell.

I dont know if someone could come up with another way of allowing the same js to be run on the page more than once, perhaps using iframes or something similar.

D

[george]

Maybe I need to see the light but I have a moral problem with Google getting their nosey fingers into my pie.

:)

[Darren B]

Maybe I need to see the light but I have a moral problem with Google getting their nosey fingers into my pie.

:)

I know were your comming from G, the problem is it is used by the masses and unfortunately there is little or no alternative

[chris ashdown]

Reviews look ok and can be helpfull for some technical items but cannot see them as much use on most items

I wonder how often you would have to monitor them for to take out bad reviews that could damage your whole company

Plus more and more control by Google, used to be MS taking over the world along with Tesco's now it is Google

[gabrielcrowe]

promise:

if google shuts down its opensocial hosting, then i'll start an opensocial server for actinic people.

they are only using openid. i have an openid server on interact studio.

the idea of widgets is not a new one. the only thing google have brought to the table, is exposure of an old idea.

i must admit, its a clever idea, and had me by surprise.

[acompton]

7:45pm
I have been hearing that Google is shutting down some of its free services so I personally would be wary of using this as reviews are valuable and I would hate to loose them if G decided to close the service.

10:45pm
I can see I'm going to be busy adding it to lots of sites over the next few weeks!

My! That's a fast about-face!

[Darren B]

Reviews look ok and can be helpfull for some technical items but cannot see them as much use on most items

I wonder how often you would have to monitor them for to take out bad reviews that could damage your whole company

Plus more and more control by Google, used to be MS taking over the world along with Tesco's now it is Google


Chris

i agree, reviews are not suited to everything, but you can limit posting to signed in people, you have the option to delete posts, and i bet as things progress it will improve no end, i see this only as a taste of what is to come.

I had a brief conversation yesterday with someone about it, and its another way for google to see what sites are popular, maybe collate data and use it for other things possibly se related who knows but one things for sure they are not doing this without some form of return.

[george]

They're watching you Daz.


*taps nose and winks*

[RuralWeb]

It's not an about face really as I still think that codepaths review software is better as you store the reviews and the are pushed to your desktop. Also it integrates with actinic so you can email buyers asking them to write.

The google thing is not only a review system there is a social widget that work with it as well so I plan to use that and keep the codepath review system there by getting the best of both worlds.

Some of my sites will run the google review system - I'm sat waiting for a client at the moment who will be adding it but I don't think it will be many. As gabe says it will almost certainly get better and we will see what happens.

[gabrielcrowe]

there is a better reason NOT to use google's offering.

SEO.

The reviews are rendered using javascript.

[RuralWeb]

They are but I have a page setup so I can see what happens when g caches the page. Codepaths reviews are all indexed ok which as you say is another good reason to use them.

[grantglendinnin]

It appears instead of Google caching the comments, it caches a nice block which states:


We're sorry...

This gadget is configured incorrectly. Webmaster hint: Please ensure that "Friend Connect Settings - Home URL" matches the URL of this site.

Andy's got nothing to worry about unless you want to go for the cheap-skate method (no pun intended) which gives very few advantages.

[Darren B]

Andy's got nothing to worry about unless you want to go for the cheap-skate method (no pun intended) which gives very few advantages.

I think we are missing the point here, the review is one part of this. As Gabriel did at the start of the thread and Mal mentioned above and i did previously this is a social networking tool that will grow, in to what is anyones guess.

[grantglendinnin]

this is a social networking tool that will grow, in to what is anyones guess.

Yep. It's another clear conception that Google are looking to spy on you even more. Yes, in terms of internet technology, they are leaps and bounds ahead of everybody else. However, it's quality, not quantity, that counts.

IMO, Google need to fix their immediate concerns.

Here's a perfectly fine example:

The kids go to school and learn about birds. One particular breed has a promiscuous name with many a connotation.

So your kid wants to know more about it, Google's it - with Google set to 'Filter explicit images only - default behaviour'

And we all know exactly what they find.


Google's not so great now, is it? A market-leading friend of mine has lightly covered Google's Semantics (http://www.blog.cantufind.com/2008/06/17/the-perils-of-semantic-manipulation) in further detail.

As for the Adsense ads - not even safe enough to use Google's 'Strict Filtering' setting.

[Darren B]

Google's not so great now, is it? A market-leading friend of mine has lightly covered Google's Semantics (http://www.blog.cantufind.com/2008/06/17/the-perils-of-semantic-manipulation) in further detail.


I never said google was great? FFs what is it with people around here these days.

[RuralWeb]

you want to go for the cheap-skate method
I would not describe it as that really - its horses for courses. Im just about to add both the review and the social widget to the clients site that I have just had a meeting about because he is interested in making more of a community rather than anything else (he is already at N01 on G for all his products so it will make no difference). For sites who need that SEO boost then Codepaths solution is the best IMO.

As with all tools people need to decide which is best for thier site - but things like this will only grow so thanks Gabe;)

[grantglendinnin]

I never said google was great? FFs what is it with people around here these days.

I assure you I wasn't taking a personal dig Darren.

The web community go on about Google like it's the dogs bollocks. Let's face it, I don't even want to know what filth I'll come across if I search for that phrase with their search engine. Google are throwing millions into these 'social' features yet can't even get the fundamentals right - that's the point I was making :)

[Darren B]

They are no different to any other SE, it is always the problem, the bigger you get the more people will find fault, there is not an SE that does not suffer from these issues.

MSN, Google, Yahoo they are all the same, the problem is filtering, it go's against the fundamentals of the internet, it is suppose to be completely free. Is this right or wrong, i dont really care thats for someone else to make those decisions if people think so then they have the option to create their own plenty have already.

Unfortunately "spying" as it has been mentioned, is the only way to gather data, perhaps this information will lead to better results, perhaps they will remove pornographic sites from the friends system as i said before who knows, but if people think the information googles holds is bad, you really want to be more concerned about your own goverment and the US. IMHO them knowing about my bank account my travel plans e.tc are personally more damaging considering they cant even look after the information.

[Darren B]

worth a read i think http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/davos/7861090.stm

[gabrielcrowe]

thanks for the idea about looking for tits in google.

helped me a lot.

[fergusw]

thanks for the idea about looking for tits in google.

helped me a lot.

LOL :D

You just reminded me of an old post - and a link to tits (http://www.teclan.co.uk/tit.html)

[fergusw]

Old post (http://community.actinic.com/archive/index.php/t-34013.html) had a great link to ascii star wars animation if I recall, posted by Lee.

[Mark H]

"And we all know exactly what they find"

Pictures of the things that most of them have been hanging off for the first 6 months of their lives. I think kids are quite familiar with them even without Google:)

[gabrielcrowe]

dammit, the forum archived the post and bungled the code tags, effectively destroying the layout of the art there.

[leehack]

Pictures of the things that most of them have been hanging off for the first 6 months of their lives.
I'm 35 and still love to get near a pair.

[RuralWeb]

Heres another reason not to use it. Because the two widgets are java script fed then the pqge load sequence is HTML page then review widget then social widget which is fine.

The problem comes when you try and use the browser back button - the first click removes the review widget the next click removes the social widget and the third click moves the page back - now how annoying is that going to be to visitors to the site.

You can see it happening on Darrens site http://www.kitesrus.co.uk/acatalog/Pepper_II_4M_Complete.html#aVMPL1340

[Darren B]

Mal what browser was that in, Seems fine in FF or i miss understood what you ment

[Darren B]

I'm 35 and still love to get near a pair.

hmmmmm i have worked with a pair on more than one occasion, but im forty in a couple of weeks and i still love a pair aswell ;)

[RuralWeb]

Using ie7. I fitted it to a clients site and he noticed that the back button had stopped working!

[Duncan Rounding]

I just tried it too and had the same issue with ie7. Great idea but no good as it stands.

[Rich Brady]

Seems to work if you double click on the back button.

It doesn't seem to be restricted to Actinic sites either. I had a look at a couple of example sites through Google and the same seems to be happening then...

I find it hard to beleive that Google would have released this with such an obvious bug, does any one have any thoughts as to way it's happening, becasue I'm clueless :D

[RuralWeb]

I posted the reason why it's doing it earlier ie IE7 is seeing the page load three times is you have both widgets and twice if you just have the review so pressing the back button firstly unloads the widget then the page so you end up having to press several times. Bet it works in chrome!

[Rich Brady]

Sorry Mal, I must of missed that... Hangs head in shame for not reading the thread properly :(

[parklifeclothes]

From Google

Thanks for reporting this issue with FC and IE7. We our looking into
this issue and hope to have a fix as soon as possible.

[gabrielcrowe]

"We our looking into this issue and hope to have a fix as soon as possible."

Read: hahah! screw you IE and your crappy implementation of the xmlhttp notion. bwahahaha.

[grantglendinnin]

"We our looking into this issue and hope to have a fix as soon as possible."

Read: hahah! screw you IE and your crappy implementation of the xmlhttp notion. bwahahaha.

An alternative reading would be:

Sorry, in this game of Monopoly there is no passing go to collect £200, you just need to go to www.mozilla.com/firefox/