Just a quick note on something that I could elaborate for ages/pages. In sum, for the moment (micro) blogging is easier, more effective, and useful for mankind than Google Wave. In fact, the latter presumes a practical understanding of the former.

A lot of us (media) geeks are fascinated/obsessed by new technology (gadgets). We show off (build personal brands) by knowing/using the latest stuff. Among the latest of the latest is Google Wave. And for sure, people are conversing their fingers off to demonstrate their eagerness in riding that Wave. Not me.

Major shifts takes time

One of the hard lessons I have learned the last 20 years is that change needs time. That is, it takes a lot of attention, interest, desire, action, and reflection to change human behavior. In particular when it comes to things that are core to us humans – in this case communication (or rather ”conversation”). For example, in spite of the fact that young people are attuned to IM, many schools still only think in terms of providing their pupils with e-mail addresses.

Ten years ago I started to look deeply into what we now (stilll) call Web 2.0 and social media. For me it begun with a hunch, seeded by the development of RSS technology, open source, and ease of web publication. Still, the majority of people I meet for the first time are currently shifting from ”attention” to ”interest”. Desire is simply not there, nor is action.

Second Life is proof

As many others I became fascinated when Second Life (SL) grew from a space for core users to mass (media) interest. I tried SL a little, realized that ”virtual worlds” were mostly the same as they had been five to ten years earlier. Whenever I included stuff/demos of Second Life in my gigs it was that that the audiences buzzed about and remembered. But for most of us it would generally be smarter to start using other things, than spending a lot of time and money to figure out online worlds. Hence, I stopped talking about SL and published in May 2007 the blog post ”Prioritera (inte) Second Life”, (”inte” is swedish for ”not”).

Note, I did not dismiss Second Life as something totally unuseful. It was, and is, very valuable in many sitations. Furthermore, I bet that within five to ten years the next wave(s) of online 3D-worlds will for example blow schools away. The signals, e.g. Quest Atlantis, are defenitely (t)here.

In other words Second Life exemplifies the need for time, action, and reflection. Desire is simply not enough.

Profound changes are on the wayve

I first heard of Google Wave through the sudden explosion of social media buzz about it. A few weeks passed before I took (not found) the time to watch the 80 minute looooong video introducing it. The buzz was right. Here was something profoundly interesting, challenging, and game shifting.

Wish I could say how (and why).

I’m still feeling it in. I need to spend a lot of time experimenting with it. Meanwhile real time search, realtime channels (like the newly launched Twingly Channels), real time RSS, really realtime, is under way.

At the same time the (main stream) media is buzzing about organizations who do (not) block social media services. A clear sign that the big majority, as well as small laggards called ”top executives”, have still not even recognized what has been here for quite a while.

New old stuff rocks now!

Yesterday I spent the afternoon at Årstaskolan (ages 6 to 15) with a group of amazing teachers and their supportive head teacher. In less than a year their school have with their own hands, and virtually no money or hardware, put together a state of the art school site (www.arstaskolan.se) and associated ”knowledge hub”. Of course they put up a mobile version of the whole thing (m.arstaskolan.se). Their students, parents, and all of us may participate, rate, comment, and download stuff – including iPod/Android videos. It is a social media venture par excellence!

Everything web that Årstaskolan use have been available for at least five years (as far as I can tell).

My time is limited

Hopefully I have many more years left in this craze. I love it! But my time is limited. So, on the professional side, the choice is easy.

If I use my time to inspire other schools and organizations to do what Årstaskolan (and many other, they are just one example) do – that is more valuable than trying to figure out what Google Wave and the other 200 new things that pop up every day is.

Meanwhile, to those of you that play with Google Wave. Thank you! Let us know what you learn.

Before New year

Sooner or later someone will invite me to The Wave. At that time I have to re-think about how to plan my time including it in my life (currently I am protected by being without access ;) Most likely we will together turn our hunches from itch to sketch before this year is over. Because I am still convinced that there is profound shift hidden in the Wayve.

Please do not forget to promote, use, and share what is already here and commonly available.