Chuukaku.com

Well, as I'm in my first professional post I'm starting the process of chartership with CILIP. I've stumped up my £50 to register, and now have 6 months to compose and submit my chartership plan. It's still not fully formed as yet, but one of my aims will be to maintain my knowledge and awareness of new technologies (something which I try to do anyway, but it's nice to acknowledge and record). One such technology is no doubt Google Wave, and as my invitation arrived a couple of weeks ago I thought I'd record my first thoughts.

First up, who thought Google Wave was a social networking tool? Well, me, for one, but it turns out I was wrong. When you've added someone to your list of contacts they're not prompted to add you. It's more like an email system with a contacts list. In fact, if you watch any of Google's explanations of 'what Wave is' then you'll find they're pretty keen to tell you it's like email too. It took me a while to work out what Google meant here, but I think what they mean is it's like a step forward from Gmail... I haven't been able to see the links between Wave and Outlook without going via Gmail myself.

There's various information out there on the web. Most people I've spoken to have been directed towards and immediately put off the 120 minute launch video. Like me, you may be relieved to discover there's an 8 minute Google Wave video that isn't directed towards developers. This is a pretty good overview of what Google would like Wave to do, but it isn't yet a guide to what it does. Currently, for me, it's been a bunch of email conversations in which I discuss what on earth Wave is, and one big public collaboratively edited conversation in which even librarians are struggling to organise themselves into alphabetical order while everything goes slowly.

So, do I like it? Well, currently that's an emphatic 'no', but if you'd asked me about Twitter when I first signed up I might have said the same thing. I think, and this isn't the most original thought on Wave I've had, that it lacks critical mass. If Google really are developing something to replace email then it needs to be available to everyone. What's the point in trying to arrange a barbeque through Wave if only two people I know have invites? Furthermore, half the functions Google would like it to have they're kind of waiting for someone to develop (that's what the 120 minute video's about). It's interesting to see what it does currently, but I think I'm going to have to withhold judgement until the critical mass of people and apps is reached. If it ever is.

Note: tenuous photographic connection: Google Wave / sea. Taken on holiday at Gower this year.

Labels: chartership, professional development, Web 2.0