Say Hello to Google Wave

If you’ve spent any amount of time online this week—reading blogs, Twittering, or just casually surfing the Web—you’ve probably heard people talking about Google Wave, but may be wondering what the heck it is.  By Google’s definition, Wave is “a new tool for communication and collaboration on the Web.”  But unfortunately, that doesn’t tell us a whole lot.  After all, there’s already lots of other Google tools out there that similar definitions could apply to: Gmail, Google Docs, Google Talk, and so on.  So what is Wave, and why is it different?  The short answer is that Google Wave is all of the above!

How do you currently collaborate with others online?  Your answer probably involves a combination of email, instant messaging, file managers, media sharing sites, and other cumbersome applications that require separate logins, passwords, and most likely don’t play nicely with each other.  But imagine if there was one easy-to-use application that could do all of these things and cater to multiple users all at the same time?  Enter Google Wave.

What is a wave?

While “Google Wave” refers to the whole application, individual collaborative projects are called “waves.”  A wave is both a document and a communication tool in one.  Rather than using separate applications to both work on a project and discuss it with others, a wave is a multiuser web-based collaboration tool that combines document processing with chat and messaging functionality and manages all aspects of a project from start to finish, keeping all work and conversations about it intact.

Here’s a look at the interface:

At first glance it looks relatively simple–sort of like a hybrid email, chat, and workspace application.  But the features that make Google Wave a revolutionary tool can’t really be captured in a static screenshot (or in a blog post, for that matter).  Wave almost has to be seen to be believed.

Wave’s New Wave Features

Wave integrates a whole host of exciting features, many cutting-edge that push the limits of web standards.  (Google’s developer demo even included a disclaimer that some Wave functions will require Google Gears in order to work–a minor inconvenience that Google hopes to resolve by lobbying to raise the bar on current web standards.)  Here’s a look at some of the things that make Google Wave revolutionary, and well, just plain cool:

• Real-time communication: With Google Wave, you can see what others are typing live, character-by -character.
• Real-time search:  Wave enables you to search waves (and the content within them) with real-time precision.
• Drag-and-drop file sharing: No more need for attachments, zips, or file downloads.  Wave lets you drag and drop files directly onto its interface, and the files are seen by all participants instantaneously.
• Recording and playback: Wave captures every snippet of conversation and every action taken by every participant over a project’s entire lifespan–and then lets users play it all back, step-by-step!
• Live collaboration:  All wave participants have the ability to make updates to any part of the wave–whether editing the project, editing previous conversations, or adding new material–all possible at the same time.  Each wave participant sees everyone’s edits live, as they’re being made, all simultaneously.
• Instant publication:  As if the collaborative power of Waveisn’t robust enough, any wave can be embedded on a website or blog and made public so that other people my participate.  Embedded waves even retain their drag-and-drop file sharing functionality.

Will it Sink or Swim?

Google unveiled Wave to the public for the first time this week at I/O, Google’s annual developer conference, and public demand for the product is already huge.  At Web Ad.vantage, we’re already dreaming up ways to use Wave, and pondering how it might help us work faster, smarter, and more efficiently.  When it comes to innovation, Google rarely disappoints.  But some people aren’t as optimistic.  Over the years, Google has become synonymous with terms like simplicity and usability, but Google Wave seems to be a step in the opposite direction, with some even calling it “bloatware,” or perhaps more insulting, “Microsoft-ish.”  The Wave is undoubtedly cool, but the question is whether or not most people will have a real need for it.

Although revolutionary, Google Wave also a bit scary.  How private are waves?  With instantaneous multiuser collaboration, how much control will we have over our projects?  Will Wave make the good ‘ol Google products we know and love obsolete?  These are all good questions we hope Google is anticipating and working to address while Wave’s development progresses.  Google has pushed out plenty of shiny new “revolutionary” products over the years, but not all of them have been hits, and many have long since been abandoned due to lack of funding, public interest, or lost to competition who simply built a better mousetrap.  But with so much innovation, Google should be allowed a few failures every now and then.  Where would we be without Google’s search, Maps, News, or YouTube?

And as for the Wave, well, let’s just say we’re anxiously waiting to ride one in.

1 Comment »

1. > whether or not most people will have a real need for it.

   Exactly! I’m not usually a Doubting Thomas, but will there be any practical uses of Google Wave?

   Comment by Eric Herberholz — June 28, 2009 @ 11:27 pm

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