The New Email? Google Wave

[Kyle Lacy]

There are so many technology oriented blogs in the world that it would be stupid of me to break down Google Wave on my own. The steps Google is taking with this new initiative is going to rock the world of Internet based communication.


What do you think about this new concept from Google? I love the idea. Below you will find a couple of links to stories about Google Wave.

Mashable : The Google Wave Guide

IT Blogwatch from Computerworld

Andy Wibbles : Google Wave Obliterates Everything

The Lifehacker Breakdown

SocialMediaToday: What the Internet's Been Waiting For

I don't know about you but I am pretty excited for this new tool. Bring it on!

[Ian Arkin]

Google wave is bigger than most people realizes in terms of ingenuity.

This takes online collaboration to the next level. It will essentially replace email and instant messaging and supplement blogging, social networking, and wiki-style document collaboration.

My favorite part of it is the developer API. I have a feeling that this is going to inspire so many developers to raise the bar of what people expect the internet to do.

The only problem I foresee is people's reluctancy to use online applications instead of client-side OS applications. Also, I doubt Google wave will ever work in Internet Explorer, which still has 66% market share.

[PK Koduri]

I liked what I saw - the entire interface looks like my work desk - organized chaos. But it would be interesting to see what the efficiency benefits are really going to be, because at some point all this consolidation will only lead to information overload and diminished returns.

[Jake Roesler]

Yes, concurrency control technology will change everything. Central server models such as this will, I fear, reignite political/legal/ business debates about cyber monopolies and fuel antitrust legislation that seeks to restrain CCT advancements that would dwarf mere email collaboration.

Google will take over the world.

[Ernest Rando]

Far as i can tell there are no Google Developer Groups in Indiana.

There are also no Google Wave developer groups in indiana.

If you realize the possibilities of Chrome, Wave, and Google in general and would like to maybe start using Wave please join the Google Wave group here in Indiana That i will create. it would be awesome to have a Wave Community in SmallerIndiana. i plan on having monthly waves and would like to know and see what others in Indiana already think about Wave and what it could mean for them. I eventually would like to get more into the Developer end of it but general interest is a good start.

[Colin Clark]

good call! I just received my wave invite on Tuesday, but I don't really have anybody to 'wave' with yet.

[Justin Bryant]

A great 'idea' with limitless expandability. So far, a bigger let down than the AOL/ Time Warner merger. (HA!)

[Marita Topmiller]

I love the drag and drop features and the gadgets, the translators and the collaborative abilities all in
real time. It will simplify the way we do business. It will definitely impact my realestate business. I'll be
able to drop in contracts, maps, property photos and inspection reports onto a client's desktop. But, now,
I often have to break up the amount of material I send my clients, as attachments, into several emails
because their servers can't take it all in one gulp. I wonder how servers will respond?

[Chris Tomlinson]

So far I think it's "alright". My main developer is in Australia, so as you can imagine timing for the two of us can be an issue. Knowing this we've tried Google Doc's and a spreadsheet of to-do's but the problem there was actually checking into the document for any changes so we went back to good ole fashioned email.

Now that Wave is here we've tried it and are giving it a go. With time I think it will grow into something more, but in this day and age of "Gimmee gimmee gimmee now now now!!!! Today!!! A second ago!" people might give up on it prematurely and not wait for it to mature.

[Marita Topmiller]

Wow! Chris. You're already on the Wave? I think it's THE future for everybody whether they come
to it sooner or later.

[Chris Tomlinson]

Yea, we're using it but just not sure of it yet.

Our very first collaboration was an actual online conversation and it felt more like an overzealous IM than anything.

We've added in a "notify" module to help remind us when things have changed on the Wave, but I haven't seen an email reminder come from the system when I change things. Not sure if it just emails me or her or what.

I think it will be the wave (pun intended) of the future, but right now it's not living up to the hype I was seeing.

[Marita Topmiller]

The limited distribution of the Wave will help get the bugs out. It looks like it will take some
getting used to. The screens in the presentation looked confusing - so many people in the
same conversation.

[Chris Tomlinson]

...so many people in the same conversation.
Well for me the worst part about multiple people in the conversation (even with just two of us) is if I reply to the most recent thread, it just puts my response directly beneath it. But if I respond to the second to last one, it indents it which makes it seem more like that conversation.

As a rough example:

CHRIS: Words text words and stuff here
---- CHRIS: More stuff about the words and text here <----- I responded after Jay
JAY: Saying things and words and stuff <------responded to first thread

As the bugs get worked out I'm sure it will be better, but using it fully for collaboration right now is a PITA.