Is it a sneeze? Is it a Pokemon? No, Warichu is the latest contender in the field of annotation technology!
Said fast it sounds like a sneeze, said slowly it sounds like a Pokemon, but said correctly it sounds like yet another non-descript web service buzz word... but it's actually a word of Japanese origin meaning a specific form of annotation! Warichu, a new annotation system developed by UK student John Beaven, was launched today after a year in the making.
Warichu allows users to add virtual sticky notes and annotations to web pages. In the same vein as services like Diigo, Stickis and Fleck, Warichu is a web 2.0 service that integrates technologies such as RSS, Atom and RDF to encourage mash up. Warichu is a little rough around the edges, and seems a little sparse on features at the moment, but it looks like it has potential.
Currently only a Firefox extension exists, but we have been told to expect an Internet Explorer extension early in the new year. Even IE users can try the system using the text field at the top of their main page.
Developers will be pleased to learn Warichu has been shipped with an open API - Warichu uses "Chews" to add content to web pages. Using the Developer Toolbar, anyone can develop their own Chews to work with the Warichu platform. Currently two Chews can be found on sourceforge: Collaborative Chew and Sticky Chew.
So, how do you Warichu?
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