collaboration

Google Wave, email for the next generation?

The folks at Google decided to re-invent e-mail.  What would e-mail look like if we could “start over” and re-create it? You might think, “e-mail isn’t THAT old is it?” Actually it is. Internet e-mail and the specifications that define how it works have been around since 1982 (http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc821). In the last twenty-seven years we’ve seen many fresh ideas about how to use technology to exchange information – Wikis, blogs, SMS, and IM are just a few.

Think about it. What if e-mail was more collaborative? What if an e-mail thread (the conversation) occured in a shared medium that could be updated realtime? What if, as you typed in information, others could watch your updates? Maybe we could combine e-mail conversations with the real-time aspect of instant messenger and throw in a little wiki-style editing for collaboration and history? How about having the ability to embed this conversation on a web page for a larger audience! That’s Google Wave – part document, part web, part conversation.

We’ve all become used to using a variety of communication tools that share a lot of similarities but aren’t integrated. Wave tries to merge communication and collaboration into a single interactive tool that you can easily extend and build upon.  In a large business we often use email and IM to communicate changes we are making on wikis and other collaborative sites.  I’m not sure Wave completely hits the mark for me but I love the idea of making email more like IM and placing collaborative tools in the space with the conversation.

What I like:

  • Live update.  As you type, add pictures, or do anything the wave (the shared conversation) is updated realtime. I’d like a way to have it share only when I hit return, though!
  • Put a variety of content types in your Wave.  You can write your own plug-in and make it embeddable in a wave.
  • Very easy to create waves and add people to them.
  • Interesting protocols built on XMPP.

What I don’t like:

  • Not completely open source. Parts of it are, but you can’t download all the components and run it internally on your corporate intranet.
  • Too discussion-focused.  I’d like a “shelf” that I can put collaborative documents in the wave to draw attention to that as separate from the conversation.
  • UI is more “cool” than intuitive. I’m sure a lot of people will start with Wave and say, “huh?”.  Of course the answer is to watch the video demonstrations. Let’s just say it’s “google-ish”.
  • I’d like more structure to the wave (see shelf idea above).
  • Not available yet.  You have to be lucky enough to get an invite. 🙂

Anyway, that’s my half-baked opinion from a couple of days of use. If you haven’t seen Google wave you should watch the video. It’s much easier to see it in action.

Does your Corporate Culture Clash with your Social Side?

You’ve seen the Mac and PC commercials right? Apple products are hip, fun, and counter-cultural. iPods, iMacs, and iPhones generally exude a fun, simple, elegant design. Working at Apple must be a really progressive place just like the commercials right? Everybody blogs, lots of wikis and ad-hoc collaboration? Nope. Apple employees aren’t supposed to have personal blogs (something about speaking with “one voice”).

The United States Government typically brings to mind thoughts of red tape and process for anything and everything. Think up-tight, uniforms, and nobody shares information. Wikis and blogs would be squashed by regulators or the CIA Right? Nope. The government, particularly the Intelligence and Military, is all over social media tools and is a role model in many respects (one example).

We’ve come a long way. Wikis and other trendy collaboration tools popped up many years ago under the desks of IT folks who got tired of boring document management systems and static Intranet portals. Today every corporate leader is being yelled at, “Get a 2.0 Collaboration Strategy!”

Most companies go through an evolution of tools and platforms to get to a consolidated, supported, “everywhere” platform. As the tools evolve so do new policies to deal with this new media. Often younger segments of the workforce expect these tools, more seasoned employees question them.

How about your workplace? Do you have tools to find other employees based on their user profile? Is there a corporate “Encyclopedia” anyone can contribute to? Can you quickly create ad-hoc communities to share information without email lists? Do you have these tools but your corporate culture is holding back their adoption?