The first time I was shown a web annotation service was 10 years ago  by a German entrepreneur at a conference in Budapest.

He was convinced it was going to change the web; but despite his persuasive patter that particular service now lies in the DEadpool, as do many of the annotation services that have come since.

In theory, web annotation is the missing part of the social web – one example would be if I left a note on an electrical retailers site praising the service, or pointing out that the TV they are advertising is 20% cheaper elsewhere.

And yet – and yet – no-one has got it quite right. Many have been hailed but most have failed.

Pushnote comments on the BBC homepage

That might be about to change with the launch of Pushnote. Simple to use, with an uncluttered interface and plenty of features (but not too many), it provides an easy way to enter into conversation with friends and strangers who have visited, or are visiting, the same sites as you.

If Pushnote can achieve critical mass it becomes an incredibly powerful tool for people to share critical information about retailers, suppliers, advisers and so on.

All these different organisations will be undoubtedly afraid; but reputable companies should embrace Pushnote and actively encourage their customers and clients to leave open, honest and independent feedback for their peers.

Spam will be a major issue which Pushnote has to contend with, but if they can weed out the genuine from the disingenous they could be onto a winner here.

Pushnote have the added advantage that one of their backers and vocal supporters is Twitter Bard @stephenfry

If he can’t give Pushnote the Push it needs, nobody can.

Give it a try.

Tags: @stephenfry, Pushnote