SHAUNA NICHOLSON: DIGITAL BUSINESS STRATEGIST

This is a follow up to my post: Google Wave as a Simplified Basecamp?

This is my third month using Google Wave for project correspondence. Wave, in addition to Google docs, is working great for project management. I’ve added a second project for February.

How I’m doing it
Monthly Waves: Each month gets a new wave with the month and project title; example: “February: ClientWebsite.com.” This helps de-clutter and eliminate excessive scrolling.
Organization: I organize my thoughts similar to my email (and this document): I bold titles, include links, etc.
Announcements: I kick off each new Wave with a monthly address. It includes any new and/or critical information for the team.

Pros

• Connected Team: No long email threads cluttering my Inbox. The team is tuned in to helping each other out.
• Not Email: Because it’s not in my Inbox, I’m not distracted with every little issue. I check in regularly and can focus attention, as needed.
• Free: Can’t beat that…
• Easy to Use: I haven’t gotten any messages (yet) asking me how to use the Google Wave. (WOOT!)

Cons

• Connecting Google Wave to Google Docs: It’d be nice to not have to re-invite the team for every new document. (*SEE EDIT.)
• Wave invite lag: This is only a small annoyance, and temporary. It’s annoying to start a Wave, realize someone new is missing an invite, then have to return later to get them connected.
• Uploading documents: We’re using this as a communication tool. There is still a need for document sharing. There is a button for this. The snazzy intro video even says it works. It does not.

What are your tips and experiences using Google Wave, particularly for professional projects?

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*EDIT: Thanks to Nick Pannuto for letting me know some Wavers have access to better file uploads.

I’m attempting to use Google Wave as a simplified Basecamp. It’s kind of complicated working with vendors on different projects and I figured it’d be a way to keep everyone connected while we’re not physically near each other. I realize it’s still in beta, but so was gmail for (well) years.

Do you think this will work? What are you using Google Wave for? Your thoughts?