WAVE hello...the Google way

H E L L O ....Have you heard the buzz? Google Wave is the 'thing.' Do you have it? Have you tried it? No? You must not be on the invite list. VIP only, ya know...Don't worry, some might say you're not missing out on a lot because it's still in beta phase, still rough around the edges; let the others work out the bugs before you give it a try.
But you're still curious, aren't you? What's the big deal anyway? Why the 'invites' only, what is it, and what in the heck does it do?!?!

It's allows us to email, collaborate, thread and track conversations, and replay all of the steps along the way. It changes the way we work together and even the way that we think about our work. It changes the way we communicate with each other...and in that communication comes a few warnings:

1. Expect the unexpected - it's new and so there are bugs. We might expect a certain service or action, but remember that some things aren't worked out yet, so the Wave might work differently than we first expect.


2. Test it and test it again - try creating waves and collaborating with a trusted colleague so that you can determine the nuances of the tool and understand who sees what, and when.


3. Manage your waves - use folders and tags to organize your waves and any attachments just like you would manage any other content


4. Know when to fold - in theory Google Wave may be the new way to communicate, but we must also know when it's not working out so well for us. It's still new, be sure that if you're using it to communicate about a certain project, and Google Wave isn't helping the collaboration, you may have to revert back to the 'old' way of doing things until the Wave has it's bugs worked out.

So, do you think you are ready? Wanna give it a shot? I have several invites left and would be willing to share. Afterall, it's a collaboration tool - and without others to collaborate with - waving H E L L O is pretty difficult! Post a comment with your email address ~ and I'll send you an invite as long as I have them.

Happy Waving!