Comments on: Google’s infinite strip: the brilliance in Google Wave http://scobleizer.com/2009/11/27/googles-infinite-strip/ Searching for world-changing technology Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:41:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James Hansen http://scobleizer.com/2009/11/27/googles-infinite-strip/comment-page-1/#comment-129519 James Hansen Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:54:53 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/?p=6063#comment-129519 The email-like interface should be your first clue that Wave is not like other social networks. It implies that the content you will receive will be unsolicited, and I think that's the point. The inventors set out to overhaul the concept of email in the first place, and the whole reason for email was to be able to send unsolicited messages. So really, it's not the email interface that's flawed, it's Google's intentions of replacing email with this new technology.<br><br>But Google did manage to come up with a great idea that has other applications, and if you want to you can design a custom wave client that does away with the email-like interface (or wait for someone else to do it). The infinite strip can be turned into a wildly productive tool. Just don't expect Google to do it, they're too wrapped up in the email metaphor. The email-like interface should be your first clue that Wave is not like other social networks. It implies that the content you will receive will be unsolicited, and I think that's the point. The inventors set out to overhaul the concept of email in the first place, and the whole reason for email was to be able to send unsolicited messages. So really, it's not the email interface that's flawed, it's Google's intentions of replacing email with this new technology.

But Google did manage to come up with a great idea that has other applications, and if you want to you can design a custom wave client that does away with the email-like interface (or wait for someone else to do it). The infinite strip can be turned into a wildly productive tool. Just don't expect Google to do it, they're too wrapped up in the email metaphor.

]]> By: James Hansen http://scobleizer.com/2009/11/27/googles-infinite-strip/comment-page-1/#comment-123685 James Hansen Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:54:53 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/?p=6063#comment-123685 The email-like interface should be your first clue that Wave is not like other social networks. It implies that the content you will receive will be unsolicited, and I think that's the point. The inventors set out to overhaul the concept of email in the first place, and the whole reason for email was to be able to send unsolicited messages. So really, it's not the email interface that's flawed, it's Google's intentions of replacing email with this new technology.<br><br>But Google did manage to come up with a great idea that has other applications, and if you want to you can design a custom wave client that does away with the email-like interface (or wait for someone else to do it). The infinite strip can be turned into a wildly productive tool. Just don't expect Google to do it, they're too wrapped up in the email metaphor. The email-like interface should be your first clue that Wave is not like other social networks. It implies that the content you will receive will be unsolicited, and I think that's the point. The inventors set out to overhaul the concept of email in the first place, and the whole reason for email was to be able to send unsolicited messages. So really, it's not the email interface that's flawed, it's Google's intentions of replacing email with this new technology.

But Google did manage to come up with a great idea that has other applications, and if you want to you can design a custom wave client that does away with the email-like interface (or wait for someone else to do it). The infinite strip can be turned into a wildly productive tool. Just don't expect Google to do it, they're too wrapped up in the email metaphor.

]]> By: Sam Davyson http://scobleizer.com/2009/11/27/googles-infinite-strip/comment-page-1/#comment-123549 Sam Davyson Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:32:11 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/?p=6063#comment-123549 I have had similar thoughts to your main point Robert. I prefer to think of Google Wave as a whiteboard or a noticeboard that you and your collaborators are standing around. You can all draw on it, write on it, rub things off, put pictures on it etc. This is *VERY* different to the email model (which is the same as the physical postal service model).<br><br>I think explaining it like this will make it much more useful. Having a friend acceptance thing before collaboration makes some sense I think. It would have to be made part of the protocol.<br><br>Seeing the acquisition yesterday of AppJet/Etherpad by Google for Wave is extremely interesting. Etherpad worked as an extremely frictionless way to get collaborating on text-only in real time. Share a URL and you're done. Wave is obviously more complex in terms of what it offers but I think it could learn a lot from the model. If we could have less interface at the wave website and it be more like just sharing a link to a live wiki the barrier to entry would plummet and people would start using it much more.<br><br>Hopefully they're working on something like this. I have had similar thoughts to your main point Robert. I prefer to think of Google Wave as a whiteboard or a noticeboard that you and your collaborators are standing around. You can all draw on it, write on it, rub things off, put pictures on it etc. This is *VERY* different to the email model (which is the same as the physical postal service model).

I think explaining it like this will make it much more useful. Having a friend acceptance thing before collaboration makes some sense I think. It would have to be made part of the protocol.

Seeing the acquisition yesterday of AppJet/Etherpad by Google for Wave is extremely interesting. Etherpad worked as an extremely frictionless way to get collaborating on text-only in real time. Share a URL and you're done. Wave is obviously more complex in terms of what it offers but I think it could learn a lot from the model. If we could have less interface at the wave website and it be more like just sharing a link to a live wiki the barrier to entry would plummet and people would start using it much more.

Hopefully they're working on something like this.

]]> By: MMS http://scobleizer.com/2009/11/27/googles-infinite-strip/comment-page-1/#comment-123548 MMS Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:23:19 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/?p=6063#comment-123548 I think you raise some good points but ultimately it's not so much about the tool, it's actually about what you want to use the tool for. Take twitter and the follow all philosophy - for most people at least it just don't work (you may well be an exception to this rule Robert) and they drown in the noise. Wave will provide greater flexibility as apps come online to offer us the opportunities to use it for our specialist needs. I think you raise some good points but ultimately it's not so much about the tool, it's actually about what you want to use the tool for. Take twitter and the follow all philosophy – for most people at least it just don't work (you may well be an exception to this rule Robert) and they drown in the noise. Wave will provide greater flexibility as apps come online to offer us the opportunities to use it for our specialist needs.

]]> By: Webdeveloper http://scobleizer.com/2009/11/27/googles-infinite-strip/comment-page-1/#comment-123537 Webdeveloper Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:26:21 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/?p=6063#comment-123537 Very effective new system from Google. I like it. Very effective new system from Google. I like it.

]]> By: deftangel http://scobleizer.com/2009/11/27/googles-infinite-strip/comment-page-1/#comment-123476 deftangel Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:35:00 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/?p=6063#comment-123476 I remember the original Google Reader interface was dire as well. I went to Bloglines because of it and it took me two years to come back. I remember the original Google Reader interface was dire as well. I went to Bloglines because of it and it took me two years to come back.

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