When Google started to slowly parse out invitations to become a Google Wave user, I was hooked. I absolutely NEEDED an invite. So I spent weeks spamming friends and pleading on Twitter: “Please, please, please invite me to use this product.” I felt like I was begging to sit at the cool table in a high school cafeteria.
The invite arrived a few days later. (Thanks, @NicholasStevens). I logged in immediately and spent the next three days starting waves, joining waves, sending along wave invites of my own. Looking back I wasn’t really accomplishing much, but at least I was waving. I was cool, even if cool meant taking the time to read a single wave with 150 posts. (Actually, that wasn’t that cool at all.)
It’s been four months since I’ve been waving and I’m still not accomplishing much. Sure, it’s cool to drop in pictures and embed video. I even like the idea of the playback feature. But beyond serving as e-mail on steroids, what good has Google Wave brought to my life? Has it added any value? Has it made my job easier? Shouldn’t Google Wave at least be making me breakfast?
When I signed up for Twitter nearly two years ago, I could at least see the potential. It was quick; it was easy; it made sense. It’s seems a little harder to see everything Google Wave could become. I’m not saying Google Wave can’t be the next big thing. I’m just saying that until it achieves a critical mass of users to recognize its value and rely on its functionality, the wave won’t be more than a ripple in the sea of social media.
Please, prove me wrong: patrickpowers59@googlewave.com
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