As i See IT

Navigating Google Wave

// October 17th, 2009 // Google Wave

Let’s see what this baby can do

I am not  a tech geek nor a blogger in the traditional sense.. As I see it train of thought approach is meant to help ‘ordinary ” members of our project unserstand what is often left unsaid!

I chose to plunge into Wave and just  try it out!

I first started with drag and drop documents;  they showed in the thread. However none but the images opened in the wave… I’m used to access via tools such as drop.io, voicethread and dim dim.

How do I get them in here and where is that auction tool Mike( drop.io) spoke about, and where was  “Ribbit”  the conference tool, I had added via the extensions gallery, it just did not seem to work… solution maximize the wave.

that little square buttom we’re all so familiar with … Opens out the wave, I guaranteed every  regular” user will ask that question.

Extending the functionality…

Apparently there are   bots and robots to extend the functionality of Waves… that feature has to be simplified before the release to a wider audience.

Robots (To use robots, add them as a contact, then add the robot-contact to a wave)- that did not always work. Robots add functionality  Chatbots Conversion Games Groups Integration Language Polling Search / Aggregation Utilities Wave Management figuring out if they are functioning is a bit confusing.

I NEED To Figure out how to use the Drop.io Robot. I aced the Posterous robot, which post a wave to Posterous , but I have no idea if the others are working, in process or done. So I spent a great deal of time just steering at the screen.

Gadgets  directions- To use gadgets, once editing a blip, just click on the green puzzle piece,  and enter the url into the bottom text box.

This was simpler not all worked but enough to truly give an appreciation of the scope of wave. Html and Iframes allow for widgets and pages to be added. From that point each wave became a stage on which I could present ANYTHING. Wave will be to designers and multimedia communicators what twitter was to those that write!

MIKE from Drop.io at BarcampNYC 4

Once I became comfortable It was now time to focus on use! What can I actually use wave for!

I see Wave as a dashboard via which I can conduct virtual meetings sessions etc! Since a Wave can be copied  I can create templates for sessions and conduct private, public, one on one or group sessions! Customer service reps currently using chat or voice now have another portal to learn!

The Term “Preview” was loosely defined. I will gladly communicate bugs to the the architects of Wave.  I’m the interior decorator so to speak. Deciding on what I want a wave to do say and feel like, my job is now to bring it to reality. That However will take anoter couple days so I suggest  you subscribe to the feed for updates!

So what can I use Waves for;

Consult, Curate special interest or subject and edit story boards, Design and Take custom orders; Distribute information; Customer support and  custom fittings; Edit web page layouts; Explore/teach/train: Fundraise, Hold debates; Games; Market; Offers, incentives and coupons; Organize text; Performances: Pull together projects and magazine layouts; Sell; Sketch a design; Teach; Trade shows, trunk and runway shows, auctions and shopping parties; Web tour and I’m just getting started!

The challenge is creating waves that do what you need with the current offering of extensions!

Private or public, I ‘m not yet sure… there is talk of Wave Etiquette.. but I don’t have the time to monitor and maintain Waves.

So what’s out there.

From the Lifehacker article (http://lifehacker.com/5376138/google-wave-101) I learned how to access public waves with:public. And came across a wave for Female geeks… 8 women strong at the time. The lead (what do we call the person who starts a wave). The wave’s owner wanted input for an upcoming, article on www.Blogher.com I saved this wave to follow and maybe join to a little late! (How do I join a wave in progress)

Ah I found it… the down arrow next to the time on Blips, the keys to edit, reply privately. That said  I’m still trying to figure out the “playback” feature!

What’s missing…

We have been exploring virtual conferencing since 2006. We initially found success using Skype add-ons, such as  Jybe and later Jyve,  guideng designer in Russia and India, Work sessions with cretive aspirants in Paris and Australia. Now both are defunct and sorely missed for Co-browsing and streamed real time collaboration!

We’ve tried some of the current offerings but they’re not fluid, Drop.io is our favorite but from the name to the user interface many have to be coaxed into trying it! We also found that many business servers blocked the strange url!

We’ve essentially been mashing up  and testing solution,,, Wave came right in time. I know I’ll hav eto do some study sessions with local business owners… but it will cut the time in half!

So yes Google Wave has a ways to go! Currently we use Gtalk and Google voice are part of our “distance co-working strategy”. Why did Google not integrate their apps, Gtalk and Docs and Google Voice features?”.

Using these tools, shaves an average of 3-4hrs navigating the New York commute for a 2 hr meeting. As a mother I’m home when my teenage son arrives from school (much to his chagrin)

What would wave mean.

Wave in the general population.

Wave is in preview.. most of the early adapters are tech oriented, and are given the  opportunity to “preview” a product meant for the general populace! I still can’t find many  of the local businesses in Brooklyn to who use Gmail… it confuses them they have little awareness of the Googles products.. till they are walked through it!

The one thing I like about wave is that everyone is viewing it in the same environment. Unlike reading an email composed in Gmail in  Yahoo

INSTANT?… The computer is the hub of my communications, not so for many, in my community mobile text is the best means of getting feedback.

It reads on Android and Iphone browsers, and Firefox , now to find the mobile devices that work with Wave!

Even so, for a buyer from Oregan to be able to preview thousands of lines from the NY Gift show right from the office save  them, then, come back and set up an interview!

Nb this is a project   In progress…

To Do List

Decide who to invites

Design a contact building strategy!

Prepare instructions for ‘digital aliens” (everyone NOT from Barcamp or NYTECH list!)

How to notify and invite

Still to figure out how do I find a wave’s url… and ember in post!