Google Wave: Ripple or Tidal?

They claim it is the evolution of communication, the best bits from email and microblogging, “an unbelievable, powerful demonstration of what is possible in the browser”. The world of twitter was abuzz with talk of invites, delays and initial reactions. But is Google Wave going to live up to the initial hype and revolutionise Internet collaboration and communication? Lets look at the good points and the draw backs:

Whats Good about Google Wave?

I have only played around with it a little, but here is what I would say are the good points:

• Collaborative Group Communication:  Very useful for collaborative group work.  The ability to invite people to conversations, drop in files, links, maps and gadgets, all make for a useful conversation tool.
• More flexible than messenger: Remains available once you close your browser, can easily drag and drop files, links and users.
• More Real Time Than Email: Pretty cool to be able to see people typing in a conversation in real time.  But more than cool it is actually useful.  Also in comparison to group emails this is a much more efficient way of communication as you have a real time dialogue and aren’t waiting for responses.
• More Privacy Than Twitter: Only those invited see the conversation, therefore has the conversational feel without the mass broadcast of information.

Why Won’t Google Wave Take Off?

• Who’s Using It?: OK so a short term one until uptake and invites grow, but not everyone has access to Google Wave, which limits its usage.
• Do We Need Another Tool?: Ive noticed already that very few people who I have a connection with who are on wave are ever logged in.  Twitter, Messenger, Facebook, Email, Yammer, do we need, or have we got time for, another tool?
• What Do We Use It For?: Nobody I have spoken to seems to have a solid use for it.  Yes, collaborative working, but not everyone had an invite, or stays logged in enough to collaborate!
• Its Not Different Enough: This is going to be the key.  It doesn’t do anything I cant get done through another tool.  OK so it might be smoother and cooler, but it doesn’t have a significant advantage which would want to make me change.

What do you think of Google Wave?  Will it take off or wipe out?

Heres oneof the better videos I have seen about its uses, one which covers the main features and one where somebody got a bit creative with it, enjoy.