Conversations over the weekend got me thinking about Google Wave and the confusion it has engendered. What's it for? How do I use it? Why is it any better than email? I don't understand...
I'm becoming more and more convinced Wave sits outside our current paradigm for doing stuff online. It's simply not something our current world-view can encompass - except for a few bright people at Google, of course!
An analogy that's sprung to mind is that of the car, in its early days. The first prototypes were considered impractical, of no real benefit - certainly not likely to replace horse-drawn carriages... People of the time couldn't think past their experience and couldn't see the potential of the new technology. Sound familar?
I'm becoming more and more convinced Wave sits outside our current paradigm for doing stuff online. It's simply not something our current world-view can encompass - except for a few bright people at Google, of course!
An analogy that's sprung to mind is that of the car, in its early days. The first prototypes were considered impractical, of no real benefit - certainly not likely to replace horse-drawn carriages... People of the time couldn't think past their experience and couldn't see the potential of the new technology. Sound familar?
So I think Wave should be treated as what it is; a prototype. It won't fit everyone's needs, today. It may be of little practical use. Indeed, it may turn out to be a complete failure.
On the other hand, it may have the potential to completely change the way people communicate online - we just don't have the capability to predict what that will look like!
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