Now that the tide of excitement has waned around Google Wave and the initial bombardment of users desperately trying to test the service, I have come to an astonishing conclusion. I really hate e-mail.
You have to understand why this is so significant to me. You see, I used to love e-mail. If I had it my way, everything I do would be through e-mail. So what about Wave has changed my love for e-mail?
Speed
It wasn’t until I started using Wave that I realized how slow e-mail really was. A few days after using Wave, Alex and I had a discussion that involved forwarding some e-mails. At times, I had to wait up to a minute to get an e-mail from the moment that Alex said, “sent” via IM. While this was accepted before Google Wave, I can no longer stand by idly.
Google Wave on the other hand is quick and I am just not talking about the fact you can see the person you are conversing with type character by character, I am talking about the ease of adding/copying waves. Want someone to join in/keep up on the conversation? Drag n’ Drop them in. Don’t want to include them in the conversation? Simply copy the wave over. It takes a matter of seconds to include someone in on a conversation.
Cluster of WTF
We all know forwarded emails can be a horrendous mess, especially long ones with multiple people involved. At times, I am not even sure if it worth my while reading half the forwarded e-mails I get. But with Wave, it is amazingly easy to follow the conversation due to the ability to simply drag and drop people into waves and/or copying waves that do not lose their threads.
Random Stuff
Drag and Drop – I share a lot of images (mainly screenshots). It is amazing how much time you save not having to look for the attachment then waiting for it to load.
The “Vote” Widget – I am not sure what else to call it, but often times with TechGeist we send e-mails out with various ideas and we all respond yes or no. This little widget just makes my life and the rest of the team’s life easier.
Sadly…
There is no way I can ditch e-mail no matter how much I hate it. It is too permeable and it will be years before Google Wave the service and Wave the protocol will see any significant traction with mainstream users. Until then, I will wait patiently knowing that one day this will rock everyone’s world.
