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Misunderstanding Wave
I'm still waiting for my Google Wave invitation, but I have been reading blogs and posts from people who have gotten theirs (#@!*#$!!), and I'd say most of them have failed to see what the value is here.
Wave is NOT going to replace email. Some people have fretted about that and even become quite upset. That's not what it's for.
Wave isn't going to replace blogging either - although it could become important as a discussion tool. It could replace comments in some situations.
Wave is a collaboration tool. For example, I might start a Wave for our community computer club. I'd post announcements, pictures, and members could comment and add material. Any club could use Wave in the same way - it's an electronic club meeting.
Obviously small groups working on projects could use a Wave to swap ideas, even to actually work on the task. By the way, LifeHacker groks Wave and that link has many good examples of how groups are using Wave right now. Reading those should give you ideas about the real value of Wave.
I think that certain subjects here could benefit from a Wave approach, too. I'm looking forward to experimenting - whenever I finally can!
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Thu Oct 15 18:30:23 2009: MikeHostetler
http://squarepegsystems.com
I just got Google Voice yesterday, so none of this new-fangled stuff for me yet.
But I want a Google Wave invite. Of course, if you don't have anyone to collaborate with, it will do you know good. Not just email, but actually work together for a common goal.
Anyway, good thoughts as always, Tony. And if you have a Google Wave invite handy . . . .
Thu Oct 15 18:33:01 2009: TonyLawrence
I haven't been blessed yet either :-)
Though I have had Voice for a while and love it.
You are correct - even if we ARE invited now, we won't be able to do much.
Fri Oct 16 19:34:53 2009: TonyLawrence
This guy also understands what so many others have not: http://danieltenner.com/posts/0012-google-wave.html
Fri Oct 30 17:08:25 2009: TonyLawrence
I just got an invite this morning (thanks Donal!).
I have no invites to give out, sorry, but have already used this to useful purpose.
If you DO have Wave, I'm pcunix@googlewave.com
Fri Oct 30 17:51:29 2009: BrettLegree
http://6weeks.ca
I'll add you on over the weekend.
You're right, Tenner does get it. I'd read the official blurb and watched the video Google had, then pretty much ignored the mass of blogs that didn't seem to get it.
Once I received my invite and logged in, I thought, "okay, what kind of project can I use this on and who can I work with on it?"
(And then I thought, "too bad they won't let me use this at work".)
Fri Oct 30 18:12:01 2009: TonyLawrence
I already see you in my Wave contacts and added you to at least one or two Waves - so you should see those in your inbox.
Fri Oct 30 18:16:32 2009: MikeHostetler
http://mike.hostetlerhome.com
So when one of you get a round of invites on the Wave, you know where you can send one of them, right? :)
Fri Oct 30 18:19:15 2009: BrettLegree
http://6weeks.ca
@Tony,
Perfect - I'll have a look.
@Mike,
I think I have some invites, I'll verify and send you one if I do.
Fri Oct 30 18:19:34 2009: TonyLawrence
Yes, I do :-)
Fri Oct 30 19:49:24 2009: TonyLawrence
Rethinking my post after spending a few hours with Wave:
For SOME email conversations, Wave is much better. The problem (for mail) is that you don't necessarily know ahead of time that a conversation would be better in Wave. So... once this is ubiquitous and we all understand that, we might just start using Wave instead of email at the beginning of a conversation.
Fri Oct 30 19:57:41 2009: BrettLegree
http://6weeks.ca
Just to build on your last thought, Tony - perhaps Google could consider a way to "convert" a Gmail conversation into a Wave, if one of the parties decided that it would work better that way.
That way, once you'd done the back-and-forth thing three or four times, just click the "Convert to Wave" button and carry on.
Wed Feb 10 12:19:57 2010: TonyLawrence
I think perhaps Google Buzz is the beginning of that merge.
Wed Feb 10 12:22:30 2010: BrettLegree
http://6weeks.ca
I was thinking that exactly, when I saw it announced yesterday. Whatever happens, I think it will be quite useful for my purposes.
Wed Feb 10 12:31:18 2010: TonyLawrence
Some folks are saying Google is too late to the game.
I think they are missing that this isn't a new site to go to - it's built in to Gmail. I also think that with Facebook having just really ticked off most of its users by making annoying changes to people's pages, Gmail, Buzz may have an even better chance.
Wed Feb 10 13:33:51 2010: MikeHostetler
http://squarepegsystems.com
For a lot of people, Facebook has replaced email -- at least for personal stuff. If they want to post about what they had for lunch, they do that publicly. If you want to have a one-on-one message, they just send a message inside FB. So in that sense, Google is a little late to the game.
I haven't been on Wave in a while -- mostly because it hard to get other people there. I've tried hard to get people there for conversations but they keep saying they prefer email. I haven't figured out why, except that Wave is one more site to look to see if there are any updates.
Wed Feb 10 13:49:10 2010: TonyLawrence
For a lot of people, Facebook has replaced email
True - our oldest daughter won't read email - we have to FB her. It's annoying and the only reason is that she has crappy AOL mail and gets too much spam.
FB provides a wall against unwanted messages, but it can also be very difficult to find people. I've had people say "Oh, just FaceBook Friend me!" but when you go to look, there are thirty people with the same name and none has a picture :-)
Wed Feb 10 16:31:00 2010: TonyLawrence
What is the point of allowing me to select a Gmail group to Buzz if none of the members have Buzz - and many don't even have Gmail???
It actually WOULD be an easier way to communicate with a group - I could use it for club announcements, important Kerio patches.. but Buzz would need to send my message as email if people don't have it and it doesn't seem to do that now.
I assume/hope/expect that if the Gmail accounts I sent to later get Buzz, the old buzzes will appear in their Buzz folder (is the Buzz folder The Hive?)
Wed Feb 10 16:47:10 2010: TonyLawrence
I just noticed that you can go back and edit your Buzz posts - very Wave-like!
Thu Feb 11 00:13:50 2010: TonyLawrence
Oh, yeah - this is definitely Wave Light.
Apparently you can link your website(s) to Buzz also. I assume (since it asked me no questions) that it goes looking for an RSS feed? I wonder what happens when it finds multiple feeds.. will it, for examople, pick up my comment feed or just the first feed listed in my site headers? We'll find out.. if this comment shows up in my Buzz, it does.
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