Be afraid of Google Wave!
There. Someone had to say it
No client-server protocol, just lots of inefficient web-based shite so you will be stuck using google’s interface with google ads for the first few years of its existence.
An instant message, email and document are suddenly all the same thing now but if you’re not happy with google’s Javascript-based word processor you’re fucked.
They had to go and extend XMPP for this supposed replacement for email. You’d think they’d write a protocol from scratch just for the purpose but that must be far too low-level for those Googleheads who spent the last 10 years using nothing but HTTP and programming using abstract methods and toolkits. “As you type” messaging over XMPP would eat up tons more bandwidth than a custom protocol but these days its fashionable to waste as much bandwidth as possible so what gives?
Ever since I saw the first webmail interfaces back in the day I can remember thinking “You have to go to a website to check your email? what kind of a stupid system is that?” but nobody would use an adware infested email client so this suits the free email services. Yea its convenient to check from someone elses computer but most peoples phones have email clients now but they don’t realise it because there is no shiny “email” button with rounded edges on the main screen so they will never know it’s there.
