Author Topic: Google demonstrates new communication platform "WAVE": mail, chat , wiki, .. (Read 59523 times)

Lutz_ · « **on:** May 28, 2009, 01:25 PM »

Looks like Google Wave will be able to to "everything" instantly. Somehow I got the impression that perhaps the dumbed down protocols (twitter) might be more successful than the complex ones.

http://www.pcmag.com...,2817,2347795,00.asp

"......What is Google Wave? Think of an open-source version of Gmail constructed via instant messaging. To start a wave, two users start what is essentially an instant-message session, which can be archived as a conversation. Other users can then be invited to join each wave or conversation, and there's even a "playback" feature to track the process of the conversation. Google also said it intends Wave to be a platform as well as a protocol, with the appropriate tools and extensions for each.

In fact, it might not even be accurate to call it a reinvention of e-mail. Google executives tied the instant-message/e-mail model to real-time document collaboration, even search, and extended it to the Web and to blogs. ................."

http://bits.blogs.ny...-collaboration-tool/

"..... Google Wave is an application running in a Web browser that creates a shared online desktop where two or more users can interact easily. They can exchange messages like they would do in e-mail or instant messaging conversation. They can share and edit rich documents that include formatted text, images and graphics. They can also drag-and-drop simple applications called widgets into a Wave to, for example, play a game together. And they can save and publish any Wave resulting from their collaboration to the Web. ...."

challenging facebook?
http://www.pcworld.c...ork_oversharing.html
" ... One of the problems with Facebook is that most of the things you share through it go to everybody you have friended, whether those people are relatives, tennis buddies, coworkers, or your boss. But few people want to share everything with everyone they know. The stereotypical example, of course, is posting pictures of weekend debauchery and having your boss see them. But it's not just a matter of being unintentionally embarrassed. Sometimes you come across a video you know your friends will love, but your mom and dad just won't get the joke. Or you want to share a work-related link with professional colleagues, but know that your friends will be utterly bored with it. ..."

The official info/video from Google:
http://wave.google.com/ The video seems to be down atm.
http://wave.google.c...help/wave/about.html

40hz · « **Reply #1 on:** May 28, 2009, 01:47 PM »

Must have some Firefly fans among the developers.

"Get on the Cortex and send out a wave" was a common bit of dialog in the series.

In case you missed the show:

The Cortex is a complex interplanetary network comprised of nodes and access points. In general, you can locate someone within a ship's orbit via node tracking - but from there, unless they are using landlines to connect, it's generally very difficult to pinpoint someone's location with only a Cortex trace.

A wave is an real time or recorded audio-visual transmission sent over the Cortex. Full audio and visual waves are generally only available within major Alliance systems. Once a spaceship has left a major system, or is traveling in a system too unimportant and poor to have a Cortex beacon, the sender must resort to more primitive means of communications.

Lutz_ · « **Reply #2 on:** May 28, 2009, 02:17 PM »

The Firefly quotes sound exactly right. Wonder how long it will take until Google runs the universe?

40hz · « **Reply #3 on:** May 29, 2009, 02:59 PM »

Nice write-up:

http://mashable.com/...8/google-wave-guide/

Eóin · « **Reply #4 on:** May 29, 2009, 03:43 PM »

This looks interesting, normally I am sceptic but this... well as I said, it looks interesting.

nudone · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2009, 04:51 AM »

just finished watching the video presentation. really cool, makes current online communication methods look prehistoric.

Mark0 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 30, 2009, 06:55 PM »

It seems to have the potential to change how we normally do a lot of things online.

Josh · « **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2009, 08:51 AM »

Looks like adobe connect which the army has been using for a few years now https://www.dco.dod.mil

johnk · « **Reply #8 on:** June 01, 2009, 07:34 PM »

It seems to have the potential to change how we normally do a lot of things online.
-Mark0 (May 30, 2009, 06:55 PM)

Agreed. I think Wave has the potential to revolutionise online communication, particularly business communications. The potential for productivity improvements using the document collaboration features, for example, are amazing.

But...it does mean that everyone in the business (or everyone who needs to be involved in a conversation) needs a fairly high degree of computer literacy. And that's still a problem in a lot of businesses. There are still many employees who can just about manage to send and receive email, but that's it. And in a world where people just endlessly swap around Word documents for review, you can get away with that.

But using Wave requires a familiarity with the way computers work. All those employees who shrug their shoulders and say "I'm just not very good with computers" will find themselves under a lot of pressure to change their attitudes...

Shades · « **Reply #9 on:** June 01, 2009, 10:08 PM »

After seeing the demo/youtube video, it didn't look that difficult. And I know the real hallmark of a professional is to make whatever he/she is doing appear to look easy...but still.

Concept wise it looks and feels easier in day to day use than having to "get" a mail program in combination with a word processor (or any other part of an office suite)...but that could be me. Then again, some time ago I did spent 2 hours (at least!) to let people grasp the concept of a virtual drive together with their PC game. And those were 16-year old's I'm afraid to add. Some people just don't want to "get" anything more from a computer than the bare essentials required for their work or game.

kartal · « **Reply #10 on:** June 01, 2009, 10:33 PM »

I watched it but I have not seen anything interesting or awesome. All those things they have demostrated have been around in this form or that form. It is just centralized in Wave. Just look at IRC protocol, it has been around for long time. It offers realtime, multiple communication as well.

As usual personally I do not care about anything google because they just take some other people`s ideas and spend big money wrap it in a new package, spend money on advertising and watch people drool. Even the translation feature is not that impressive, most of the IDEs (or free letmetype) have similar code matching features, it happens to be in realtime in wave. They are probably checking against a giant database of daily conversations. Although that kind of query speed can be impressive as it is.

Deozaan · « **Reply #11 on:** June 04, 2009, 04:02 AM »

It seems to have the potential to change how we normally do a lot of things online.
-Mark0 (May 30, 2009, 06:55 PM)
Agreed. I think Wave has the potential to revolutionise online communication, particularly business communications. The potential for productivity improvements using the document collaboration features, for example, are amazing.

But...it does mean that everyone in the business (or everyone who needs to be involved in a conversation) needs a fairly high degree of computer literacy. And that's still a problem in a lot of businesses. There are still many employees who can just about manage to send and receive email, but that's it. And in a world where people just endlessly swap around Word documents for review, you can get away with that.

But using Wave requires a familiarity with the way computers work. All those employees who shrug their shoulders and say "I'm just not very good with computers" will find themselves under a lot of pressure to change their attitudes...
-johnk (June 01, 2009, 07:34 PM)

I got the complete opposite impression from the video. It looks as simple as what most people are used to these days. Looks about as complex as web-based e-mail (or Twitter/Facebook) but even simpler with lots of drag and drop support.

I'm thoroughly impressed.

PPLandry · « **Reply #12 on:** July 20, 2009, 11:49 AM »

I just got my Google Wave account... anybody want to wave with me ? (ha! ha!)

Sandbox Wave account name: [email protected]

Deozaan · « **Reply #13 on:** July 20, 2009, 11:52 AM »

I just got my Google Wave account... anybody want to wave with me ? (ha! ha!)

Sandbox Wave account name: [email protected]
-PPLandry (July 20, 2009, 11:49 AM)

I'd love to, but I haven't received an invite yet

urlwolf · « **Reply #14 on:** July 20, 2009, 04:00 PM »

I just got my Google Wave account... anybody want to wave with me ? (ha! ha!)

Sandbox Wave account name: [email protected]
-PPLandry (July 20, 2009, 11:49 AM)

Me neither. How did you get yours?
When did you put in your application, and what did you say there?

PPLandry · « **Reply #15 on:** July 20, 2009, 06:37 PM »

IIRC, I registered on the day it was launched, back in may.

Shades · « **Reply #16 on:** July 20, 2009, 08:42 PM »

The crowd of eager participants has grown with one person....me.

With GMail you got a certain amount of invites to send around. Don't they have something similar now with Wave?

PPLandry · « **Reply #17 on:** July 20, 2009, 10:12 PM »

Unfortunately not. We're given a regular account and a test account. The test account seems limited. Public waves are not visible, only private ones.

First impressions:
1- When too many people participate in a wave, it becomes very difficult to follow.
2- Anybody can edit what you wrote, which is not what I expected
3- Hard to see what's new in a wave
4- bug: Marking a wave as read does not always stick
5- live-refresh is generally working well for the content pane, but intermittent for the wave list pane
6- Drag-drop images does not work (FF 3.0 and in Chrome)
7- When editing, the cancel button is not enabled
8- No flat view. I generally like threaded views, but a flat option helps in some situations

mahesh2k · « **Reply #18 on:** July 21, 2009, 02:32 AM »

Wave is going to be integrated with other services of Google ?

Mark0 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 21, 2009, 04:35 AM »

Just got a "You've been invited..." message from Google... but it was for Google Voice. DOH!

urlwolf · « **Reply #20 on:** July 21, 2009, 08:31 AM »

got mine!

ecaradec · « **Reply #21 on:** October 01, 2009, 05:21 PM »

I'd really like to have an invite, if someone has one to give. I'm very curious at it. I filled the form but the chosen are a few.

Deozaan · « **Reply #22 on:** October 01, 2009, 06:22 PM »

Me too. I signed up for an invite a few months ago and still nothing... except a Google Voice invite.

EDIT: Spelling fix.

sri · « **Reply #23 on:** October 02, 2009, 10:25 AM »

Can the current Wave users invite others?

If so, urlwolf will get a PM

jgpaiva · « **Reply #24 on:** October 04, 2009, 12:41 PM »

I'm really curious about this... If anyone has any spare invites, I'd gladly take one