Google Wave, touted last year as the future of text-based communication, will wave no more. Google just announced that it will be ceasing development on Wave, and eventually shutting it down, because it never caught on the way it was supposed to. Some of Wave’s technology, like the drag-and-drop feature and live typing, will live on as open source. Export tools are coming soon so that you can get your data out before Wave is over for good at the end of the year.
I used Wave for a while, and I can understand why it never caught on. It could serve the functions of email, instant messenger, or a live demo or (ugh!) “webinar” … but it was never the ideal solution for any of them. It was also incredibly resource-intensive with large numbers of people on a Wave, which is a bummer, because sharing information to large groups in real time, with the replay saved for sharing later, was Wave’s strong suit.
Because Wave never really replaced anything, and we never stopped using Gmail or Google Talk, the only major effect this shutdown has is freeing up creative Google personnel to move on to the next big thing. Whether you loved or hated Wave, you have to admit it was ambitious. I’m looking forward to seeing what the creators come up with next.