We
knew it
was coming,
but alas, the loss of Google Wave hits us anew now that the execution
date has finally come. To say we fully grokked this platform would be
untrue, but as we dug through its history to gather our thoughts, we
realized what a misunderstood creature Wave really was. Released in
2009 with great fanfare and no shortage of Firefly
references,
the program meant well with its collaboration-friendly interface,
emphasis on multimedia sharing and raft of third-party extensions
such as real-time Swedish Chef translation. But while its heart was
in the right place, the service sacrificed accessibility for
intrigue, a distinct online identity for an early adopter
sensibility. Thus, after the invite-only mystique wore off and talk
of a Wave app store began to sound downright foolish, the program's
future looked anything but rosy. But even a product this short-lived
can have a legacy: in Wave's case, it could be making Google Plus
seem downright approachable by comparison. And though this may be
little consolation to those hardcore wavers -- few and far between as
they may be -- the project's spirit will live on in the equally
perplexing Apache Wave. RIP, Google Wave, we really
hardly
knew you.
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