Is Google Wave the future of the internet? Google is working on a project that promises to revolutionize the internet and change the way we communicate. Here's a look at what they're planning.

As of today, the currently unreleased Google Wave project promises near real-time communication in hosted conversations which are called waves. It is like a hybrid of email and instant messaging, and is intended to be an open standard that anyone can use. Permalink for this article http://mirror.magicode.org/content/Everything_you_wanted_to_know_about_Google_Wave

Here are the key points of the service:

• Real time - you'll be able to see what you're friends are typing as they are typing it, meaning the communication flow will be more natural (this is an option feature though).
• Embedding - you'll be able to embed Wave on any web site or blog.
• Open source - so everyone can participate, or look at how it's done.
• Open protocol - so anyone can build their own wave system.
• Extensions - you'll be able to build your own apps within Wave, from simple bots to huge, complex projects.
• Anything written can be edited - which means you can append, reply or correct anything within an ongoing conversation.
• History - you can view the history of any part of the wave, and have it played back for you as it happened.
• Autospelling and translation - it'll help you spell, and it'll auto-translate, so talking with strangers from other countries will be less awkward (well, maybe).
• Easy filesharing - drag and drop your files and anyone in the wave will have access to them.

What is really fascinating about the whole project is the premise of low latency (which is the near real-time part) and Google hosting the service, which should mean it should be reliable and trustworthy. If you see this notice on any site other than magicode.org, it's probably been lifted without consent

Terminology of Google Wave

• Wave - a hosted discussion, like the entire inbox in email terminology.
  
• Wavelet - a threaded discussion within a wave.
  
• Blip - a singe message or document within a wavelet.
  
• Extensions and gadgets - systems for automation or interactions within a wave.

Further links:
Wave Samples Gallery - Look at what the early adopters are creating (requires a sandbox account).
Wave API - Register here if you're interested in developing with Google Wave.
Google Wave Federation Protocol - Technical information about the architecture of Wave and the terminology
Wave availability - Sign up here and Google will let you know when Wave is ready for the public