The Google Wave logo
There was a bit of hubbub within the Internet community when Google started giving out exclusive invites for users to preview their newest baby – Google Wave.
Friends’ shout outs were variations of “I finally got a Wave invite!” and comments like “Nominate me!” and “Please send me an invite!” started going around social networking circles.
Google has done it once again, creating the same hype as when Gmail first came out. This “by invite only” feature works rather successfully, but will Google Wave live up to the hype and expectations of hundreds of intrigued users?
What is Google Wave? That is undoubtedly the first question to address.
Well, according to Google, it is an “online tool for real-time communication and collaboration.” Obviously, the key word here is “real-time.” Look at it as the evolution of email and IM thrown together – you can chat, post and reply to messages at once, share media – all in real-time.
Posts within the Google Wave interface are called waves. A wave can be:
- • A conversation, email or IM style, wherein you can reply to messages as they are posted.
• Edited – any participant can edit the content posted and share ideas, comments, or suggestions with everyone included in that particular wave.
• Media-rich. That is, you can post photos, videos, and other media within a wave for all participants to view.