Welcome to the Siberia, USA

There are many signs that this has been an unusually cold winter. The temperature hit -5 degrees F in my back yard this morning, and my car refused to start. But nothing really brought home just how extreme these temperatures are like the news that the waves are freezing down the Jersey Shore! And Cape May, for those unfamiliar with the area, is the southernmost point of the NJ shoreline.

Google Wave - E-mail's Replacement

We have seen a lot of companies try to invent "the new e-mail". The shortcomings of e-mail are already obvious to most: SPAM, inability for most to know if a message was received, SPAM, long lags between send and response, SPAM, etc. But all attempts to date have failed because e-mail simply matches best how we actually work - like an old paper letter. Now Google is taking its shot at the e-mail replacement trophy with Google Wave, a system that combines concepts from e-mail, instant messaging, group collaboration software, and social networking. I really didn't "get" Wave from all of the discussion online before, but now hands-on reviews are starting to appear and they make things a bit more clear. The latter link is worth a read, if you're not up for sitting through the 90 minute Google video.

Personally, I think Wave will NOT replace e-mail, but it may encourage enhancements to the old e-mail system to force it to compete. If so, it will still have been a worthwhile effort.

The Roar of the Waves, the Peace of the Soul