Modeblue

A year ago I explained that Google wave was the future of online communication.  I said that combining IM, email and collaboration, while adding functionality for embedding video, translating text and managing threads would change the way we communicate online for good.

Since Google announced that they are ceasing development on wave at the end of this year, I have received a few choice comments about my ridiculous suggestion that it was going to be the future of Email and IM.

Which, is a bit unfair.

My point back then still stands, and while I misunderstood Google’s plans, I certainly didn’t fail to see the huge potential in this product.  More so, that potential has not diminished, if anything, its increased.

Wave Problems.

Where to start?  This has been covered numerous times, so I’ll just summarise.

1 – A closed system.  Perhaps this was the only way they could get it to work, or (as I thought) it was a stepping stone to the end goal.  But it didn’t work, people dont like to sign up just to read a message, and if they cant include all their contacts on a message, the system will fail.

2 – Limited invites.  This has worked for Google in the past, but here it worked against them.  I suspect this also links to point 1, social products need to be open and easy to get momentum.

3 – Lack of ‘need’.  People often state that wave wasnt solving any particular problem.  I’m not sure I buy this, a lot of cool technology starts for no good reason.  The same was said about twitter a few years ago.

4 – Complex lack of direction.  Many users logged on and started a wave, invited several friends and watched the mayhem.  It was fun, but hard to follow.  Allowing users to collaborate and communicate and delete throughout threads doesn’t make an easy to use experience.

Innovation

So was this a terrible mistake by Google?  Can we all laugh at them now?  no.  This is what companies like Google do.  They give super smart developers the time and resources to come up with ideas and let them run.  This innovation breeds success, and not because all the , not even because a products are all good ideassmall percentage of them are good ideas (although that is key).  The real success comes from the technology that is created and crafted from this innovation. This technology can be reused and reimplemented to create (or improve) products that solve problems and improve lives.  Apple, for example, didn’t invent the MP3 player, but they took an existing technology and created the best selling MP3 player of all time.

I stand by my statement that “Google Wave will change the way we communicate online for good.”  If you use Gmail it’s already happening.  Wave may shut down, but the ideas and technology that it has inspired will continue to be developed.   The features and innovations that really worked (the auto translate was the one for me personally) will stand the test of time,  and will eventually integrate into the products we use.

Google Wave is dead.   Online communication, collaboration and instant messaging has changed forever.