Go on, make yourself happy - have an affair!

Friday, November 13, 2009

What is Google Wave?

What is Google Wave?
Google Wave is a web application that lets you actively communicate and collaborate with other people. Google Wave enables user's to:
  • have conversations (instant messaging)
  • share photos and files
  • work with others on documents and files
  • chat in real time
  • organize your information
  • post to blogs
  • and a lot more
One of the basic feature sets in gWave is what they call "extensions". Extension peform a lot like plug-ins do for a Word Press blog. Google has a serious video vault containing very useful "how to" tutorials on each aspect of the gWave platform. The gWave Forum is also a great resource for getting up to speed on this evolving platform.
What information does Google collect and how is this information used?
When you use Google Wave, Google collects info about:
  • your account activity
  • your interaction with user interface elements and links
  • your IP address and other log information.
I will curious to see if OpenID or another open ID authentication service provider finds its way onto the Google Wave platform to further enhance the privacy and security of a gWave participant (especially) if gWave finds itself serving the Healthcare PHR | EHR space, which seems highly likely, given the momentum of the Google Health platform.
Can anyone else see your information in a Wave?
As a participant on a Wave, your gWave address, the name associated with that address, and other info that you opted to share with others is visible to all participants of that wave. If you select a picture (avatar) for your account, this will be visible to other Google Wave users.
Will Waves contain Adverts?
As of November 1, 2009, Google has no plans to include adverts, but they might consider doing so in the future. If they do decide to include adverts, they say they won't share your personal information with an advertiser without your consent, and they will update this privacy FAQ with the change.
How do you add more participants to a wave?
You can add more people to a Wave by in three simple steps:
  1. Open the Wave to which you'd like to add more participants.
  2. At the top of the wave, click (+) to select the participant(s) you'd like to include.
  3. Select from your contacts list the participants you'd like to add to the wave.
Since not many people have a Google Wave account just yet, I've found it easier to simply send my friends, fans and business associates an email (via gmail) a quick note so they are already in my contact list. If someone already has a gWave account, then you simply select them from the left panel, via the Contact section.
Google Wave is in beta testing phase, so its by invitation only to become a Google Wave user (aka) gWaver
How and where can someone get a Google Wave invitation?
There are a number ways to do this. I simply visited the gWave site, provided my Google creds and filled out a simple form. Three weeks later, I got an invitation from Google and have been digging it ever since.
Another option would be to visit the gWave Forum. After you read the TOS, simply engage the forum members with pithy and relevant content and someone should be more than willing to take care of this for you.
If you are an Internet Marketer, you probably already know about the Warrior Forum. If not, you should check it out. It is by far one of the most useful sites on the .Net to get the latest news, info, trends and "how to" stuff I've come across. There are a handful of active threads bantering about this very issue, since a bunch of us think gWave is gonna be a smash hit.
Summary
In my opinion, Google Wave is gonna be a game changer! It will have a similar impact on instant messaging, on-line meetings, real-time collaboration and video sharing in much the same way it did with Google Maps and Google Search. I suspect many of the average quality SaaS provides in these niche markets are shaking in their books, knowing that the gWave is going to be the 800 pound Gorilla in each of these niche markets.
Neil Ferree, via Social Media Marketing Plus blog is where you will find useful Tools, Tips, Products & Programs to Help You Effectively Engage and Build Your Social Media Network. Google Wave is being hailed as the Next Generation in Instant email, Instant chat and the platform of choice for online collaboration. Make sure you get a Google Wave Account before the train leaves the station.

No comments: