Andres Ferrate - Getting Started with Google Wave

This icon indicates a warning or caution.

In addition to this book, were also working on an additional book on Google Wave that will be available in both print and ebook format. OReillys Google Wave: Up and Running provides a comprehensive overview of the Google Wave platform, including the Google Wave Client, Google Waves APIs, and the Google Wave network protocol. With that book youll quickly learn how to maximize your use of the Google Wave Client and youll learn how to use the Google Wave APIs to extend the platform and customize its functions and display. You can learn more about Google Wave: Up and Running at:

This book is here to help you get your job done. In general, you may use the code in this book in your programs and documentation. You do not need to contact us for permission unless youre reproducing a significant portion of the code. For example, writing a program that uses several chunks of code from this book does not require permission. Selling or distributing a CD-ROM of examples from OReilly books does require permission. Answering a question by citing this book and quoting example code does not require permission. Incorporating a significant amount of example code from this book into your products documentation does require permission.

We appreciate, but do not require, attribution. An attribution usually includes the title, author, publisher, and ISBN. For example: Book Title by Some Author. Copyright 2008 OReilly Media, Inc., 978-0-596-xxxx-x.

If you feel your use of code examples falls outside fair use or the permission given above, feel free to contact us at .

Safari Enabled

Note

When you see a Safari Enabled icon on the cover of your favorite technology book, that means the book is available online through the OReilly Network Safari Bookshelf.

Safari offers a solution thats better than e-books. Its a virtual library that lets you easily search thousands of top tech books, cut and paste code samples, download chapters, and find quick answers when you need the most accurate, current information. Try it for free at http://safari.oreilly.com

How to Contact Us

Please address comments and questions concerning this book to the publisher:

OReilly Media, Inc.

1005 Gravenstein Highway North

Sebastopol, CA 95472

800-998-9938 (in the United States or Canada)

707-829-0515 (international or local)

707 829-0104 (fax)

We have a web page for this book, where we list errata, examples, and any additional information. You can access this page at:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9781449379612

To comment or ask technical questions about this book, send email to:

For more information about our books, conferences, Resource Centers, and the OReilly Network, see our web site at:

http://www.oreilly.com

Chapter 1. Introducing Google Wave

Introduction

Imagine being surrounded by a large crowd of developers, technology enthusiasts, journalists, and bloggers, eagerly awaiting a surprise announcement by Google. That was the setting when Google Wave was first introduced to the world on May 28, 2009, during the second day keynote of Google I/O, Googles annual developer conference in San Francisco, California. That day both techies and non-techies alike were awed by the preview demonstration of Google Wave, a new platform aimed at transforming the way we communicate and collaborate on the web.

As Lars and Jens Rasmussen, the originators of Google Maps and Google Wave, and Stephanie Hannon, Google Waves Product Manager, demonstrated some of Google Waves features and capabilities, it became clear that this new platform has the potential to revolutionize social and business interaction on the web. Attendees at Google I/O may have been the first to witness the power and extensibility of Google Wave, but soon thereafter a broad audience around the world learned about this new platform as news of Googles announcement quickly spread around the web.

The People Behind Google Wave

Google Wave was initially conceived by Lars and Jens Rasmussen (see ), a dynamite brother duo responsible for initial development of Google Maps. The similarities between the origins, and subsequent success, of Google Maps and Google Wave are no coincidence. The Rasmussen brothers have proven that they have a good balance of innovative spirit and vision to transform web technologies into platforms and products that have high value and appeal for a broad user base.

In 2004, while working on Google Maps, the Rasmussen brothers conceived the idea for Google Wave after asking a simple yet valuable question: What would email look like if we set out to invent it today? After working on Google Maps for several more years, the brothers turned their attention to their next project in 2007. That year a small team comprised of Lars, Jens, and three other developers in Googles Sydney, Australia, office began work on the initial prototype for Google Wave.

Figure 1-1. Lars and Jens Rasmussen discuss Google Wave at Google I/O. (Photo Google Inc. used with permission.)

Work on Google Wave has expanded significantly from its initial origins as a small project (or as a small startup as Lars describes it). In the last few years the Google Wave team has grown to comprise a relatively large, multi-faceted team of developers working on various elements of the platform.

Google Wants to Make Sure That Everyone Can Ride the Wave

In addition to establishing a formal development team, Google has effectively given everybody, including you and me, an opportunity to contribute to the evolution of Google Wave by making the platform as open as possible. For example, developers can actively engage in the management, maintenance, and overall direction of the platform and its various elements because much of Google Wave is open source.

In addition, developers can use Google Waves rich set of APIs to customize, extend, and integrate the platform in numerous ways to address a variety of user needs (see Chapter 6 of Google Wave: Up and Running for more information). As a result, Google Wave has garnered a strong community of developers and end users that have enthusiastically adopted the platform since its initial release as a developer preview.