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As soon as Google Wave was announced, the initial beta users jumped at the opportunity to invite their friends into the world of the "Wave." However, they soon discovered that they had no idea how to utilize Google's latest concoction, and abandoned the online collaboration client as soon as they jumped into it.
This isn't the first time a trend has died off as quickly as it was hyped up: instant messaging services were once regarded as unneccessary, since diehard email users didn't see the need for them. Fortunately, as soon as the the services began expanding their features, users saw that they were capable of so much more and eventually warmed up to the technology. We figure that Google Wave users would react in the same manner if someone would just explain what exactly can be done with the web client.
If you're not entirely familiar with what Google Wave is all about, we should let you know that it's essentially a “hosted email” service, in which you can send messages to other users in real time. You can also have a large number of individuals included in the Wave with you, as well as install add-ons with additional features.
1. Keep in touch with friends
Just like email, instant messaging, and text messaging, Google Wave lets you keep in touch with friends and family. You can add photos and files that recipients can download, without any bandwidth caps.
The best part, however, is that your recipients can see you typing your message in real time, which means you don't have to wait for them to write the email and send it your way. Instead, you have instant access to your conversation, without the barriers and set backs of sending and receiving.
2. Share your photos
Google Wave lets you share files right from within a Wave, without worrying if you or your recipient will have enough email storage to handle the large files. Select the small paperclip icon in the edit menu and browse your hard drive for a file you'd like to send. Once you click submit, the image will be whisked away to Google, where it will soon be added to the Wave you’re working on.
Uploading photos is a lot easier when you have Google Gears installed. Installing this add-on allows you to simply drag and drop images into the wave without having to upload images one at a time.
Your recipients will be able to view the photos right from Google Wave. By clicking on any image, a photo browser will open, allowing you to view any and all images right in the browser.
3. Share files
Many people often don’t attach large files when they send emails because of Megabyte caps--yeah, we said Megabytes. Most (corporate) email clients will allow a 10MB maximum on any outgoing message. Fortunately, Google Wave has a better way. Files that are uploaded are attached just like photos, and can be renamed on-the-fly by clicking underneath the icon and typing a name. We especially like the simplicity of being able to rename the files once they’re uploaded.
The recipient can then download all of the files at once by clicking on the Files drop-down menu under the wave and selecting Download All.
4. Collaboratively Drafting Documents
Before we began writing this article, we asked a few followers on Twitter how they use Google Wave in their daily routines. The majority of them replied that they like to use Google wave to collaboratively write papers, work on research, or draft proposals. Having a team of writers working towards a single goal is often more productive.
The cursors for each individual contributer will be displayed in a different color. While Google Docs does something similar, it does have the propensity to lag. The Wave is much faster and more efficient when it comes to collaborative work.
5. Trip Planning
Planning trips can be hectic enough without worrying about what to bring, who's coming along, or what the weather will be like when you get there. With Google Wave you can plan trips easily and effortlessly. Additionally, if you’re traveling with a group, you can easily share the agenda and allow others to modify it.
To get started, click Settings, then Extension Settings. From here, make sure that the Map Gadget, Trippy, and AccuWeather extensions are enable--these will be beneficial for trip planning. When you head back, create a new Wave, add your traveling buddies, and begin planning your trip.
With the Map Gadget, you can set a route to the hotel, beach, and any other places you might want to visit. Trippy lets you create a trip itinerary based on the location you’re traveling to. AccuWeather, finally, will let you plan in advance by showing you the latest weather. All of this information can be created, accessed, saved, and shared in one location where you can see your trip information at a glance.
6. Updating a website
Blogging can be fun, but a lot of people are turned off to it because of their blogging software. Google Wave lets you embed waves into webpages and update it efficiently without much effort.
To begin, you’ll need to add "embeddy@appspot.com" to your contact list contact. Embeddy will add a new message directly to the Wave you’re editing. This message will allow you to choose options for the embed tag, like width, height, background and text color and font style. When you’re finished, an embed code will appear, allowing you to copy and paste it to your site.
As you post to the Wave, the widget on the website will also be updated. If you’re using WordPress or another blog-like platform, you could essentially create several different public Waves for bookmarks and friends lists that you could embed in sidebars. The possibilities are endless.
7. Collaborate on a project
Google Wave is all about collaboration; an invaluable tool at best. You can embed files, images and gadgets to create a richer experience. You can also edit a message in realtime while another collaborator is watching you type.
With the G+ button on the edit bar, you have the ability to search Google web, images or video and instantly add additional research to your collaboration. You can also add links, headers, and even more gadgets.
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Beatrice Serrano
February 05, 2010 at 4:19am
I would agree to the extent that it has made it easier for the stupid to be heard and for the ignorant to be misled.
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kwameshearrod
January 22, 2010 at 10:40am
I am going to keep it simple. Remember when everyone thought twitter was stupid and useless
acad2kman
January 20, 2010 at 12:29am
Clearly Google Wave is not for everyone. Just for folks who are willing to learn a new and unique way of sharing every type of digital media in one online venue - IN REAL TIME. Sounds like the writer of this comment: "Wave is a waste of time" - Submitted by rstites950 on Thu, 2010-01-14 04:54 - would be satisfied with chalk and a green chalkboard. Fine, if that is all you need, turn off the computer, man - your carbon footprint is too big already!! There is NO other apparent online product besides Google Wave that I am aware of that offers such a range of collaborative abilities at any price, let alone for FREE.
palenoue
January 19, 2010 at 1:21pm
I have little use for Wave right now. As others have commented, I already use other tools for these functions and training my friends and collaborators to use Wave would be too much work for too little return.
However, if they added a whiteboard where you could easily add graphics on the fly, along with layers that can be assigned for individual people involved in the online meeting, zoom in/out and pan around the board, then we would jump on it in a second!
And if Adobe added this feature and put in various options, such as importing a deck of cards and a shuffle function, it would be popular among gamers or bridge clubs where the members move to different cities/states/countries but still want to game together.
kwameshearrod
January 22, 2010 at 1:15pm
Your ideas for wave are pretty amazing and quite doable. There has to be a way you can package to thoughts to make them happen. If not perhaps you could use some assistance. While you have little use for wave right now I can defiantly see you finding a use for it in the future to develop the very ideas you spoke about. I also Read your profile: A very creative person who would like to find a job as game designer because there are so many games for the Mac and iPhone that, while very well made, aren't fun to play. Unfortunately, while I can create games in real life that people enjoy playing for years, I have no programming skills, which means no game company will hire me. I would like to say this. Steve Jobs was no programmer but we are writing on a website devoted to a company he built around an idea. If your ideas are as good as you say they are. I think we should talk more.
malber
January 19, 2010 at 12:22pm
And if so, chief2224 already points out, most enterprises will already have tools in place for colaboration, such as Outlook and the MS Office Suite including Office Communicator.
Your average Facebook user can already share comments, notes, and pictures. The only thing they're missing is filesharing and document colaboration. But I doubt your average Facebook user is going to need those tools.
chief2224
January 18, 2010 at 9:08pm
Google Wave is certainly a work in progress, as spfjr points out, but I can definitely see the potential for a tool such as this one. The problem for early adopters, like some of the people here, is that there simply isn't critical mass around the tool usage. Sure, Google Wave could change how I connect with my family around the world. But a.) getting them all to use Google and b.) teaching them how to use Google Wave is a huge challenge. I think the most immediate application for Wave is as a collaboration tool for small companies to use within the enterprise, as well as with vendors, clients, etc. Most large enterprises already have tools to do some or most of what Wave does. But for smaller companies without such solutions, Wave could deliver significant value with little to no cost. Overall, I'm eager to see how Wave develops.
sheepy
January 15, 2010 at 8:39pm
'Everyone in the same room'? Too funny - I'm in New Zealand, I have a sister in Ireland and a brother in HK, now should I pay around nzd$12,000 for flights to get us in the same room or should I use free Google Wave? hmmm let me think about that! Ohhh and of course I need to communicate with a client in Japanese although I don't speak a word of her language. Oh heck, now I need air fares as well as a translation service or perhaps I just need Google Wave, I wonder what that will cost me.
I'm male, blond and Irish so things have to be simple, Google Wave is exactly that and it didn't take 3 days to figure it out. Incidently here's a great Google Wave learning site http://waveconsultancyandtraining.com/ just about a one stop shop, except it's all free.
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rstites950
January 14, 2010 at 5:54am
I think this article is nothing more than a ssales pitch. Goggle wave does nothing special. I used it for about three days and found that unless everybody was on it all the time it provided to real benifit. Besides, I do not need nor do I want to colaborate all of the time. On any team, people have responsibilities and skills that do not require constant updateing and monitoring. If a project is that critical, you will be better served putting everybody in the same room.
spfjr
January 15, 2010 at 3:14pm
I had to create an account simply to reply to the sheer ignorance of rstites's comment.
First, you do your argument a great disservice by misspelling words that my 11-year-old brother could spell correctly. I pray that I never have a team leader who cannot spell "updating," let alone the product that are criticizing.
Second, this product is still in beta development. Of course, it's a sales pitch. The biggest problem I've seen with Wave, besides the lack of users, is the fact that I'm still figuring out what I can use it for. This article serves to inform readers of the different tools that are being developed for Wave, as well as the different ways in which people have found it to be useful. That being said, there are some uses on this list that I find better served with other tools (the task list, for example). But that doesn't negate the rest of the list, which I found to be rather informative.
Third, have you considered that perhaps other people have different needs than you? If you ran a business around the advent of email but found that it didn't serve your needs, does that necessarily mean that it is "a waste of time" for everyone else? You suggest "putting everybody in the same room" for critical projects. What an insightful idea! Why hadn't I thought of that? I work on such a community-source project, which has developers in England, South Africa, and various states in the US. This would've been the perfect solution to our location and time-zone problem.
tldr: Wave is still evolving, as are its uses. This list is a good summary of ways in which Wave might be useful to those who are open-minded and patient enough to give it a try.
