Google Wave may be in invite-only preview and still lack important features, but early adopters ARE using it–and we want to hear about it. Tell us about how you use Wave on a day-to-day basis, and your use case just might get included in The Complete Guide to Google Wave, the first book about Wave.
My co-author Adam and I are updating the book to replace theoretical, potential uses for Wave with real-world case studies of actual humans putting Google Wave to good use. We need your help. If you’re waving regularly, please tell us about it, and we may include your story in the book.
Update: The brand new chapter 10, called “Wave in Action,” has been posted. Check it out!
Here’s how to submit your Wave use case: wave me at ginatrapani@googlewave.com, with the title “My Wave Use Case” and describe how you’re using Google Wave right now to get things done with your group. The more specific you can get about your Wave process, what benefits and drawbacks it has, and what gadgets and robots you use, the better. Include a clear screenshot of an example wave. (Don’t worry, we can blur out any sensitive information in the screenshots if we choose to publish it in the book.) By waving me your use case, you’ll be giving us permission to publish it in The Complete Guide to Google Wave, which is licensed under Creative Commons–so be sure to let us know how you’d like to be identified in the book.
Adam and I both thank you in advance for your help. Can’t wait to hear how you wave.
11 Comments
Brad Alexander
I suggested we use Wave as a knowledge-base for technical issues as we are a help-desk company. Unfortunately, Wave needs better access controls (like the ability to remove people from waves) before my boss will approve it.
nicholas
A friend a I are using Wave to take an online class together. Each week, I start a new wavelet for each class. We then take our notes in that wavelet. It works well because when we both watch the lecture at the same time, we can communicate and collaborate, but if not, it’s not an issue because we see each others notes. We use a poll at the end to indicate when we both have completed the lecture. Finally, we’ll post private wavelets with our homework assignments when completed. Once we’ve both posted, we’ll all the other to view and critique and comment on our results.
It’s a great way to take a class because it’s a single interface for everything. You don’t need to worry about being logged in to different interfaces or using different tools depending on whether the class is live or recorded…..
ashbyd
My colleagues and I are using wave to create Professional Development courses on technology for teachers.
We hash out the outline for the courses while at the same time adding links to resources and documents for our class. It has been a good way to get familiar with Wave while at the same time finding new ways to accomplish our assigned tasks at work.
We do wish that embedding google docs was a little easier, and that google chat were included in the sidebar (like gmail). Of course we understand it is still in preview and could have a lot of adjustments added to it as it matures.
Gina Trapani
@nicholas and @ashbyd: Can you two wave me screenshots of your use cases in action? They both sound great.
operefficiency
Gina,
Since last October, we began using Wave as the main means of discussing projects. If a client wants any of our services, we immediately create a new Wave in which the entire team can see what’s going on. For instance, our creative team, e-commerce experts and whoever needs to work with the client can see all relevant details as well as make suggestions which might have been overlooked. So far Wave has been great to discuss the details of a challenging corporate image, marketing strategy, best hosting options, best high-end places for corporate meetings just to name a few of the uses. Although, Wave is far from finished, we do see a lot of potential, we’d love to see it reach the next level already!
P.S.
Now that we can create read-only waves, we plan to put them on our page very soon.
Damon Lavrinc
We recently put together our first official style guide (I’m the senior editor at Autoblog.com) and used Google Wave as our main collaboration tool. Combined with a conference call, we were able to make, debate and layout the guide in a quick and organized fashion, fleshing out the details in realtime.
Michael Sacchi
I host a podcast about space news. (www.astronauticast.com).
Every week I open a wave to discuss the time at which me and the other hosts will meet, the topics we’re going to talk about, with links, etc.
Since I recently moved, I have used the maps tools to include my new location map, but that was more to test the service than for actual use.
Using wave we reach a consensus about topics and details well before we meet, and we have everything in one place, without tens of email flying back and forth, or a shared document that mixes comments, revisions, and actual content.
I open the wave with an introduction, another blip for the timeline of the episode, and a third blip to encourage comments.Observations and discussions about meeting time are reply wavelets to the first blip.
Topic and links are added by EDITING my timeline blip, and inline wavelets are added should something need more discussion.
After we reach a consensus, I “clean up”, leaving the timeline blip easier to read. The playback tool allows everyone to see how we reached a consensus.
If you need screenshots, I can provide them. If you need them fast, they’ll be in Italian.
Tris Hussey
I’ve used Wave to help brainstorm with colleagues about my class at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. It was a great way to poll a select group of people to know what they would have liked to have been taught if they were in the class.
Most recently for the Futureshop.ca blog, we’ve been coordinating how we’re going to do live coverage of the Apple event tomorrow.
Cheers, Tris
Brandon C
Well, I have a Google Wave, I gave out some invites, still have plenty left and I find it completely useless.
It provides not additional services that I can forsee using. I honestly hope the project dies and the ideas are later implemented in Gmail as time progresses.
I do not see the big deal. There is no good way to collaborate, and google wave is definitely not the answer to that problem.
Kevin Bondelli
I wrote a post about how we used Wave to collaborate on a blog post.
Crowdsourcing a Blog Post With Google Wave
ashbyd
Gina, I sent the screenshots to gina at ginatrapani.org. If you would like me to send them somewhere else please let me know. davashby at gmail.com