Still looking for something to actually do with Google Wave?
All you need is a little with:public and a public@a.gwave.com contact.
Let me explain…
Apply the with:public Filter
From the search filter in the Wave client (located to the right of the New Wave button) replace the default in:inbox with the with:public filter. Immediately, your Wave box will be flooded with streaming waves that have been opened up to the entire Google Wave population.
You’ll quickly notice that the waves roll through at a brisk pace and are not much use beyond the initial excitement of actually seeing activity in your Wave client. Rest easy as you can filter your search interests to be more specific. Simply add your search term to the right of the with:public filter. Interested in what Wavers are saying about WordPress? Simply type with:public WordPress.
At this point the public waves become both focused and manageable. Now you can cycle through and find a wave you’re interested in and you’re free to drop right into the conversation. Use the playback feature to be brought quickly and efficiently up to speed on the conversation.
This is a great way to expand your social network, learn new things and grow more comfortable with Google Wave.
Use public@a.gwave.com to Create Public Waves
Should you be feeling particularly saucy, you too have the power to create your own public wave. At the bottom left of your wave client, in the contacts panel, select the plus sign to add new contacts. Type in public@a.gwave.com and press enter. Your new public contact should be added.
Now you are free to add a new wave, your own wave, and add the global wave population to that wave. It will then appear in the with:public filter cycle that was outlined above. Depending on your topic it may appear in a more custom search that is exactly what another once lonely Waver is looking for.
My only gripe is that Google could have made this feature a bit more manageable by having an add public button available whenever you create a new wave. But oh well, we will live with this technique for now.
If anyone wants to invite me to a wave I can be found at: greg.molyneux@googlewave.com.
5 Comments
At last, someone was kind enough to send me a Google Wave invite. I’d be bookmarking this page so I can get back to rereading it when it finally arrives in my inbox. Very useful post. Love it.
It took just over a week for my Google Wave invitation to go through. Hopefully yours is processed in a timely fashion.
Mine must be in the mail by now…right?
Well if it is, it didn’t come from me. My 8 invites are still frozen by the Magi of Mountain View.
So any word on when they are going to open up the invites? Collaborating by yourself can’t be useful, but I’m sure it can be fun…