Google Wave How it can be compared to the ten flatteners
From wsuwiki
Contents |
Overview
Thomas Friedman's published work called the Flat World explained how the world is an even playing field within business, communication, and opportunity because of the internet. The ten flatteners were a number of events and innovations paving the trail for the world to compete at the same opportunistic level. Today, one of the 10 flatteners includes the innovation and empire of Google. It has pushed the envelope within technology and provided the public with an accurate search engine, open source software, and access to mass media imagery. Google Wave is a new service that provides a real time collaborative and communicative tool within webspaces like email, document design, and social networking. Google wave can be compared to Thomas Friedman's flatteners but more so as to not be the 11th flattener but more so as a combination of the 10 flattners. Leveraging a new concept that will combine and change the way we interact on the world wide web.
What are the ten flatteners?
1) The collapse of the Berlin Wall- Allowed most of the whole world to be competitors
2) Netscape- Provided a web medium for any computer to have access to
3) Workflow Software- Helped provide a service from computer to computer to do tasks otherwise that would be tedious and time consuming.
4) Open Sourcing- New idea where collaboration can be done worldwide
5) Out Sourcing- New idea where we can utilize currency and job skills for higher production, profits, and efficiency.
6) Off Shoring- Allows for companies to become even more global and efficient for a larger spectrum of goals and service to the world.
7) Supply Chaining- Mass production of goods are made in an instant when once its purchased
8) In Sourcing- Information technologies allows more services to be provided from a customer even without there knowledge.
9) Informing- Knowledge is even more accessible to the public at the click of a mouse with search engines.
10) "Steroids"- Mobile devices, VOIP, and file sharing boost collaboration and communication allowing faster and more efficient business and opportunity.
What is Google Wave?
"A wave can be both a conversation and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more." The interesting part is that it all works within real time. So as you change the heading of a photo, document, or video it will also change within the collaborators and designated sites as well. It is designed to use the interactive tools like email, instant messenger, search engines, and file sharing to become all in one platform. It is a very innovative tool because it is using current technologies and the ideas of Web 2.0 and combining them into one useful tool that everybody is already familiar with.
How does Google Wave compare to the flatteners?
Obviously, my comparison with the flatteners and Google wave is more in combination of the flatteners rather then Wave being a new flattener. Here is a list I compiled with explanations of how Wave has a similarity in a flattener. Google Wave will change the interactive behaviors we currently have within the internet today.
The collapse of the Berlin Wall- Everyone who has a internet connection will be allowed to use Google Wave as long as they get an invite. But because it is still in development form it is not so accessible to the public. Having Soviet Union come into the competitive world its made it even more harder to succeed in business and communications today.
Netscape- Although, many web browsers exist today, Wave will take over and lead a new future of web interactions and collaboration.
Open Sourcing- The more users, developers, and feedback the more the software will become better for future use. This project is only in the beginning stages of development and far from being openly public the more research and usage this feature will have the more will develop and impact communications.
Informing- With Google Wave everyone within any collaborative team will be able to know all research at the same time and see the changes within research studies as well in real time. Google's already a well known well established search engine, it will alleviate the search issues within Google Wave but more importantly enhance the experience.
"Steroids"- Google Wave will only enrich the experience and strengthen the use of "Steroid" tools within the new wave of wireless technology we are in today.
References
Friedman, L Thomas. “ It’s a Flat World, After All.” New York Times 3 April 2005. 21 June 2008 <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/magazine/03DOMINANCE.html?pagewanted=6&_r=1&oref=slogin>.
"About section of Google Wave." Austrailia. July 22, 2009. June 20009.
http://wave.google.com/help/wave/about.html