Week 2: Social Media - Why Google Wave Failed

Ok I admit, when Google Wave beta was first launched, I was excited. I was going all "SEND ME AN INVITE!" because hey, it's Google and Google produces good stuff.

But then I actually got my invite and saw what Google Wave was really all about, and I wasn't sold. Not one bit.

Are you confused?

Well I sure was. For those too lazy to watch the video, Google Wave is basically social networking, wikis, instant messaging and file sharing all thrown into one platform. However, I was confounded by Google Wave. Here's three reasons why:

1. Why do I need Google Wave? 

Okay, so I can share it with several people. I can see edits in real time. I can even use it for social networking, and to talk so some random French person I have a language barrier with! 

But wait... Document sharing? Wikis already do that. Edits in real time? Google Docs does that too. Social networking? Well why would I want to bring something fun like social networking into a seemingly work and efficiency based application? People want to idle around social networking sites to have fun, stalk others and so on but who idles around their email homepage? And what are the chances that I'd be acquainted with someone I can't communicate with on normal circumstances? 

2. Why is it so complicated?

Wait a minute... What? What's this about real-time posting and editing to websites? Sounds cool but it seems much more than what an average user is able to grasp. Why is Facebook successful? Because it is easy to use. It's so easy to use that even my mother has an account where she chats with friends, plays games and keeps in touch with her old friends. Would she be using something like Google Wave? I doubt so. 

3. How many people are actually willing to use this? 

The entire existence of Google Wave depends so heavily on the assumption that many people are using it. However, by alienating half the online population who are not so tech-savvy or willing to learn and master new technology like Google Wave, they are left with a very small user population. How can I start a Wave and share it with others when I have only two friends using Google Wave? That's why Friendster is going down the drain - because nobody uses it anymore, everyone is on Facebook and you'd have only about 20 friends if you signed up with Friendster now. Not exactly a lot fun, I would imagine. 

If Google Wave had arrived maybe several years later, the online population might be more receptive to such brilliance. Just imagine, with the gadgets that developers could have produced, Google Wave might be the only thing we needed to open on our browser, connecting us to all our social networking sites, emails and instant messaging clients! Too bad it had to die.