Google Wave

[Sage 703]

This is going to revolutionize the way we use the internet.  My mind is a little blown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_UyVmITiYQ#t=20m30s

Its very long - but worth watching.  Starting around minute five you'll get the meat of it.

[sweetcell]

i'll have to check this out alter tonight.

since we're sharing vids of way-cool tech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ-VjUKAsao

[vansmack]

I'm not entirely sure it does anything differently except put everything in one window.

[Sage 703]

I'm not entirely sure it does anything differently except put everything in one window.

...isn't that pretty substantially different?

The collaborative computing element of it really sticks out to me.  I need to go back and watch again, but I was particularly struck by how intuitive it is, as well as the ability to work with other people on documents, photo albums, etc.

[vansmack]

...isn't that pretty substantially different?

Did MS sleep at the wheel on Outlook?  Perhaps.  But having that much in one window is going to require larger monitors, or more likely multiple monitor support.  Is this really that much of an advantage to justify the expense?  As I said in our offline conversation, this will be great for the kids, but no way business adopts this, especially without Exchange support.

The collaborative computing element of it really sticks out to me.

I'm just guessing you've never used Sharepoint.

[Sage 703]

...isn't that pretty substantially different?

Did MS sleep at the wheel on Outlook?  Perhaps.  But having that much in one window is going to require larger monitors, or more likely multiple monitor support.  Is this really that much of an advantage to justify the expense?  As I said in our offline conversation, this will be great for the kids, but no way business adopts this, especially without Exchange support.

The collaborative computing element of it really sticks out to me.

I'm just guessing you've never used Sharepoint.

You're right - never used Sharepoint.

And I agree, I don't see this as a business platform, though I think it has business applications.  I'd have to play with it a bit myself to know regarding the monitor issue - but I wouldn't be surprised if you're right, as I'm already at a point where I want to have a dual monitor set up at all times.

[Firebutt McGee]

I freaked out about it earlier this morning and Twittered about it.

Yeah, I'm that kind of geek.

[vansmack]

I'm thinking about Freaking out a little about this.....

Opera has a little surprise in store for you this morning with its Opera Unite service. A web-based application built into the Opera browser that the Norwegian-based company says will "reinvent the Web" as it makes your computer, data, and media available via any web browser through the Unite cloud. A bold claim, sure, but just look at the breadth of the cloud-based services available to Mac, PC, or Linux/Unix users:

File sharing -- securely share files direct from your computer
Web server -- turns your home computer into a web server via Opera Unite URL
Media player -- direct link to your music collection from any web browser
Photo sharing -- shares your image library over the web without requiring a photo service
Lounge -- self-contained chat service running on your computer
Fridge -- a place where friends and family can post notes

Opera Unite

This might actually be the web you know, reinvented.

Press Release

[vansmack]

this will be great for the kids, but no way business adopts this, especially without Exchange support.

And only one year later.....it's killed.

Reason: lack of user adoption.

[sweetcell]

not surprising.  i consider myself a savvy web user but i never "got" GWave.  i played with it a few times, didn't fully comprehend what the service was trying to achieve, and never went back.  100% of my use of wave was within 3 weeks of signing up for it. 

i think this was a google experiment in open source that didn't work.  "build a platform and they will come" won't work if you don't explain the platform and what it does differently/better.

GBuzz is destined for the same trash heap (at best a fate similar to orkut).

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

I think the death of Google Wave is easily explained by Sage's unintentionally astute original post about the instructional video:

Its very long - but worth watching.  Starting around minute five you'll get the meat of it.

[walkonby]

but does it give free bjs?

[Sage 703]

not surprising.  i consider myself a savvy web user but i never "got" GWave.  i played with it a few times, didn't fully comprehend what the service was trying to achieve, and never went back.  100% of my use of wave was within 3 weeks of signing up for it. 

i think this was a google experiment in open source that didn't work.  "build a platform and they will come" won't work if you don't explain the platform and what it does differently/better.

GBuzz is destined for the same trash heap (at best a fate similar to orkut).

Give it time; you'll see products like this back in the mix.  I'm surprised that they've announced that they're killing it, rather than just leaving it in Beta/Preview for the time being - but at the same time, it didn't work very well.

The biggest problem that the system had is that HTML couldn't keep up with the functionality; it made the platform really sluggish and difficult to navigate, which prevented anybody from using it efficiently or effectively.

That said, a lot of the functionality of Wave has been folded into their other applications.  You see real-time editing in their Apps Suite now, and Reader/Buzz have adopted the social functionality that Wave was aiming for.  All signs point to Google rolling out a new, gaming based social network - which will have similar collaborative elements as Wave.

While this product clearly didn't work, it still had a big impact on Google's product offerings, and I expect you'll see further feature integration as HTML and broadband become increasingly powerful.

And by the way, Orkut isn't going anywhere.  It has a pretty sizable user base in Brazil and India, if not in the United States.

[sweetcell]

And by the way, Orkut isn't going anywhere.  It has a pretty sizable user base in Brazil and India, if not in the United States.

right, which is why i said "a fate similar to orkut" as a step up from the trash pile - marginalized, niche, and not particularly popular in the US.

[Sage 703]

And by the way, Orkut isn't going anywhere.  It has a pretty sizable user base in Brazil and India, if not in the United States.

right, which is why i said "a fate similar to orkut" as a step up from the trash pile - marginalized, niche, and not particularly popular in the US.

I mean, 100 million people use Orkut...