Google Wave: Up and Running

Toward a Google Wave Ecosystem

There is no doubt that Google Wave represents an innovative approach that may lead to profound changes in the way that we interact with each other on the Web. In these early days of the platform, it can be difficult to extrapolate how its three layers may eventually lead to Google’s vision of online communication and collaboration. And certainly there are various challenges that have yet to be overcome, including widespread user adoption and federation among a variety of providers, both large and small.

I’ve pondered the implications of Google Wave since its initial preview at the Google I/O conference, giving thought and imagination to what Google Wave may represent in the future. One of the fundamental implications seems to be based on the emergence of a diverse ecosystem comprised of applications, services, tools, content, and users that collectively utilize the three layers of Google Wave.

Much in the same way that the Twitter API has led to a diverse set of clients that allow users to tap into the service without actually using the “product,” I expect that in time we will see a variety of clients, wave providers, add-ons, plug-ins, services, and content aggregation and distribution services that leverage the three Google Wave layers we’ve reviewed in this book. Figure 9-4 illustrates just how a Google Wave ecosystem may look in the future.

My goal in discussing this “ecosystem” is to offer up some parting food for thought. In the six months that ...