shane dillon
This is my personal blog spot. All opinions expressed are my own. I use this space to post updates about cinema, digital and politics.
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shane dillon
Blog post about how Google Wave worked for UKGovCamp2010 #evaluation #ukgc10
UKGovCamp2010: Google Wave
23: The number of people who joined the Wave
10: The number of people who posted a message to the Wave for UKGovCamp2010
9: Number of people who took part in a Yes/No/Maybe poll app embedded into the Wave UKGovCamp2010
1: New user brought onto the Wave during the Google Wave Session held at UKGovCamp2010
33: Number of messages posted to the UKGovCamp Wave.
UKGovCamp2010: Google Wave - A game of two halves
Most activity around the Wave occurred leading up to Saturday when UKGovCamp2010 was taking place. This indicates that Wave has potential as a community builder ahead of an event where people can exchange ideas. Twitter and Ning spring to mind as better alternatives but Wave can compliment not compete with other tools.
When the game kicked off GovCamp2010 Google Wave failed to show up and Twitter was the absolute dominant means to discuss #ukgc10
Why did this happen?
- Wave is just to slow and in the heat of #ukgc10 you want to communicate with speed.
- Many people attending despite their knowledge of the web just find Wave to difficult to use and this is not helped by Wave having a crap user experience.
- The person who started the Wave did not do enough to maintain the UKGovCamp Wave. That person needs to be akin to a very light editor, promoter and make sure the content on the Wave is compelling. I started the Wave so I bear some responsibility.
- Wave is not good with conversations threads and if you were to enter the Wave hard to get a grip of which part of the conversation you are entering.
So what did Google Wave achieve at UKGovCamp2010?
One of the great things about GovCamp is being exposed to new tools and ways of working on the web. If every year we played it safe and simply talk about the same tools and ideas it would be boring. Next year I look forward hearing about a new tool that realises what Google Wave is trying to achieve.
Having started a Wave for UKGovCamp2010 this was practical way of drumming up interest ahead of Saturday for a session on Wave. Some who attended had used the Wave in advance and this meant the critical thinking at the session was backed up by actual use.
The aim of setting up the Wave was not in a million years to compete with Twitter but instead to explore it's potential or otherwise. This I think was modestly achieved and I for one am clearer of what needs to be (a) improved for Wave to work (b) enlightened about what Google could do with Wave's functions.
One particapant in our Wave branched off and set up another Wave called: What are the main barriers to innovation in local authorities?
Result:
Wave failed, films fail, political careers end in failure. Most of all failure points the way to improvement and I hope that Google Wave makes a comeback for another UKGovConference.
Lessons learnt:
- For an event create your Wave roughly two - three weeks in advance.
- In your Wave entry set out the objectives of the Wave clearly.
- Say that you as the starter of the Wave will be a very light touch editor.
- Apply wiki behaviour to how you approach Google Wave.
- If the conversation is drifting to other areas start another Wave. This is Wiki behavior.
- Listen to other Waves as others may have set up a Wave for your topic or event. Use operator: with:public climate
- In your first Wave entry as light touch editor add links to FAQ's and knowledge on how to use Wave.
- Add a short dictionary of short terms and Operators for Wave.
- If Wave is not working just give up their many other tools to use.
- If you start the wave keep with it - promote on Twitter - offer advice - provide learning resources - tidy up the wave.
- If appropriate make some participants in the Wave read only.
- Think about what you want to achieve from Google Wave maybe only three people are required on the Wave to talk about a problem not fifty people trying to keep up with diverse conversation.
Posted
by shane dillon
Comments (4)
My main reflection after using it in a few different ways is that when you might have lots of people involved in something public like Saturday it's helpful to structure things with a single indexing wave that pulls the others together. This means specific sessions can move into their own space, with their own tags and the relevant contributors.
The other thing that I think is quite handy (but requires everyone to be attuned to Wave) is inline replies because they can then be collapsed quite effectively which tends towards grouping conversations together.
Before half Saturday's wave disappeared (if you playback to point 153 there's a lot more content than there is later on and I'm not sure why) it was a long linear post which was touching on a variety of different sessions and even with playback that's always going to be difficult for new comers to get to grips with.
Until the issues around its speed and clunkiness get addressed then people aren't going to want to use it. We did want to try and use it internally before it was blocked and I was hoping you would all provide a great demonstration of why we should...there's always next time :)
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