I am not to be described as a technophile. This is due to several circumstances, generally conjoined, though disparate in nature.
Firstly, I tend to Meander through life, hence the title of my blog. Although I can be very driven, and when I have a goal in mind, or deadline set I can be incredibly focused, this is more an externalization of the repression of my inner demons (dreamy, daft and unfocused they may be), built through years of practice, cajoling, haranguing and frequent beatings about the neck and head with a blunt instrument by my exasperated parents.
Secondly, I am doer, but not always a leader. I’ll usually watch someone else take the first bite, the first step, or the first leap in the great unknown because under this buff bluff and extroverted posterior exterior, I am painfully shy and mortally terrified of making a fool out of myself.
Fourthly, I am just not good at handy-things as my dad calls them. He’s a proud self-made man, an ex-Navy Officer who fought his way up as a 16 year old Rating to the Officers Mess, serving his King/Queen and country for 35 solid years. He builds, hammers, saws, hangs, mows, slices, dices yadda yadda yadda.
Me…I can barely thread a needle without sewing my fingers together, let alone do something complicated and handy. technical building of stuff eludes me; my girlfriend had to wire in the DVD player for crying out loud. I think that’s one of the reasons I took to drumming, instead of playing guitar: I couldn’t figure out all those leads and pedals.
So I wasn’t the first to embrace Twitter, I still don’t understand Friendfeed and I deleted my MySpace account. But I have been rather excited about a novel new technology that’s gradually making its way in the world.
It’s still beta, with disclaimers everywhere saying “pardon our dust” and “Let us know how you like it!”; these are littered shyly around the pages of the API like flirting teenagers at the bus stop after school. What a load of bollocks nonsense. Everything is released as beta nowadays; Microsoft taught us that, although they didn’t mean to and it cost them. Release early, and update often. Let the users to the grunt work.
Because we expect everything on the internest to be free, most users are happy with this arrangement. It suits the Generation X and Millennial mindset, although for different reasons (one eager to please, the other not wanting rules).
Now, I don’t want to wander off on a joyful ramble about Google Wave, if you don’t know what it is, the best description I ca think of comes from the developers themselves (I’m paraphrasing)
we tried to imagine what email would be like now if we developed email for the first time…knowing everything we know now about email and e-communication.
Google Wave was released to the “public” earlier this year, firstly to a select few, and then via invitation to more through conferences and user groups etc. I’m sure local ubertechnophile “Cameron Neylon” has written about it somewhere. So, imagine my excitement when RPG emailed me over the weekend and offered me an invite!
*YAY*
said I.
Today I went to the site and signed in and wandered round, and laughed at the pseudo-sincere “Hey, hope you like it” tags everywhere; and I played with various extensions (careful… this is a family site; Ed.), and generally had fun. And I noticed that you can Wave only with other Wave users, which would make sense. But I only know one other Wave user. And he’s 6 Time Zones from me.
Which is why I don’t do technology.
Is anybody else “Waving”? Wanna Wave with me?
You might think I’m waving, Ian, when I am, in actual fact, drowning.
Cath waves
Sorry mate, no invite. Apparently I named my cat in vain; Google (the company) do not love me like I love them!
Horror of all horrors! Did I actually get an invite before the Owner of Google? Cath, if you need any, I still have 8 invites to give away.
I haven’t really figured it out yet….but if anyone does…feel free to add me at kyrsten.jensen@googlewave.com
Ooh, ooh, me me me, please, Ms Jensen!
I guess when you’ve got Obama’s ear, anything is possible ;)
I too have my 8 revites™ but figured this might be a productive way of using them… Krysten if you Wave at Cath, I’ll Wave at Henry (as he sinks for the 3rd and final time), and then Wave at you both!
Cool! Let’s think of something fun to collaborate on!
Is there anybody in there?
It sounds like Pink Floyd, the wall. C’est tout, bloody mate.
Yes, Ian. I couldn’t even think of eight. I have a few extra invites going as well, if anyone wants. I’m heather.etchevers at the usual domain. I’m trying to convince people who are writing manuscripts and grants with me to get on it but we’re all too thick to get organized early and so the pressure is on not to waste any time learning the system. Sigh.
My invite fell of the back of a lorry. I’m cromercrox [at] blah blah blah. All of a sudden I, too, have eight invites. Used notes to the usual address.
I have 13… seems excessive.
We’re all still dying to find out what the third thing was.
I have a wave…am on wave…whatever. But I don’t know what to do there. It doesn’t notify you by e-mail when someone adds you to a wave (unlike Google Docs), it doesn’t work on iPhone, and it’s utterly confusing.
I also have 8 invites, but, really, it’s the kind of party where people only want to go because everyone else is going, and then once you get there everyone thinks “really? this is it?”, except the people who were so excited about it in the first place, because they don’t want to look bad for inviting everyone else to the party.
I would like an invite please! Have emailed Krysten to start. I can’t promise I’ll understand it but, as Eva says, everyone else is at the party, I want to to play!
I too am pretty stuck. We may just have a solution…I know a man who may be able to help…
I have about 20 invites to give out, which I’d be happy to give to you lot. Also if anyone is interested we can set up a time and I can give people a few demos of robots in action on a wave, and some other tips and tricks. Any takers?
If you want an invite email me at ian@mulvany.net with “wave invite” as the subject line.
Also, to get your appetites whetted, here are some interesting links:
explained in two minutes
explained by Samuel L Jackson
an actual link to a wave about scientific waves
How about a Nature Network Wave…?
Well, we can haz one now. title: The Nature Network Wave
Woo, I just got access and am looking forward to getting stuck in. But not till tomorrow. I’m spending today trying to craft a Wave-particle duality gag.
but as soon as we see it it’ll collapse?
Forget it. I’m not letting Schrodinger’s cat anywhere near my mouse.
Unfortunately, Schrodinger’s cat got onto our sofa and peed on it.
I have a few extra invites going as well, if anyone wants
I have about 20 invites to give out, which I’d be happy to give to you lot
You kids get off my lawn! Gahhh!
If anyone does think of something interesting to do on a wave please could me in c.surridge@… you know the rest!
I am feeling an urge to ask for an invite as well now. But it would be no use – no time!!
As Richard suggested, there’s now “The Nature Network Wave” – please let Ian/Richard know if you’d like to join in. We’re currently trying to find a suitable time for an introductory demo – probably either Wednesday or Friday of this week. You can fill in your preferred times in the wave :-)
I’ve just made that wave public, if you have a google wave account you can get to the wave from the following url
https://wave.google.com/wave/#restored:wave:googlewave.com!w%252Bq2HSYM3XD, that’s a google wave url, and will only work if you have a google wave account.
Good grief! There’s been a maelstrom of commenting while I’ve been napping!
@Alejandro: Correct!
@Henry, Heather et al.: I shall be Waving at you forthwith (after my sausage “biscuit” & coffee)
@Jenny: #3 = I’m no good with numbers/math(s) :p
@Eva: I think there’s an inertia barrier/activation energy (we are all scientists aren’t we?). This is new so as yet un…un…labledable. What do we want it to be? But the notification thing does sound annoying…
@Sara: Drop me a line if you don’t hear from Krysten. We’re in different time zones :)
@Ian: Brilliant! Cheers mate
@RPG: I can use it set up the poker game we aren’t allowed to set up here! :)
@Chris: Copy that mate
@Lou: Ditto (I’m running low on “biscuit” and steam)
@Ian: Aha. Ditto. Cheers!
Woo hoo! I’m in! Thanks, Kyrsten!
However, I’m going to need an uninterrupted couple of hours with a pot of tea to work it all out. Possibly on Saturday, although I’m working most of the day. Hmmmmmm.
It sounds like Pink Floyd, the wall
Yes, I think this might be a clever reference to the release of that fine album lo these 30 years ago, almost (exactly?) to the day. ;)
@sara I don’t have your email…sorry! did it get lost in the ether? I think I’ve sent Heisenberg after it, but am not sure…
@Cath: If I new my Wave address, I’d suggest Waving at me. Does it have a search function? I could always log on look myself couldn’t I…
@Richard: As Alejandro pointed out, it is indeed a veiled reference that great tune.
I have invites if anyone needs one. Just email me scilib at gmail.com, tell me what email address you want the invite sent to. (What will actually happen is I will request an invite from Google, and in a few weeks they will send it to you.)
I’ve also been pretty underwhelmed so far by how confusing it all is – I can kind of see how it’s useful for team to-do lists and things, but there must be a more sophisticated use than that.
I’d pretty much given up on it until other people worked out what was going on and told me, but I’ll join the NN wave and see – joannascott2000@googlewave.com.
PS: Looks like you can’t give these invites away, but I have 13 as well, so shout if anyone wants one.
@Richard: Thanks! And thanks for commenting. Looks like we have a bunch of Wave invites so we should be able to get a decent conversation…Wave…whatever going!
@Joanna: This all ties into something we were discussing a while back on one the Forums about social networking for scientists. If there is no immediate benefit it won’t be adopted because people don’t have time to build their own usage. I want something given to me that says hey: you can do XYZ faster, better, cheaper. In other words don’t give me a flux capacitor and expect me to invent time travel. Give me the Delorian and an instruction manual.
@Ian or Richard
Don’t seem to be able to get that URL to work, keep getting a message that I’m not a participant. I have an account (whereisdaz_at_googlewave.com), any chance you could add me in?
cheers
Which Ian?
:)
I haven’t had a chance to go play yet, but as soon as I do (this afternoon I expect) I’ll see if I can figure it out, if someone doesn’t beat me to it.
Done it
Ok, I would like an invite, please – otherwise I’ll worry about what I might be missing. Cath, what is that reference to Obama’s ear supposed to mean?
Huh. I would, but I think I broke it…
I’m in, thanks to ian m! Just got to find that pesky wave!
https://wave.google.com/wave/#restored:wave:googlewave.com!w%252Bq2HSYM3XD
The Nature Network Wave
although i think they’re having issues at the moment…
Oh good, not just me not been able to log in all afternoon?
Steffi, my cat is called Google, and Kyrsten’s cat is called Obama. We once had a long email conversation about kidnapping Obama and wrestling Google to the ground, and then realised that the CIA were probably tuning in…
No. and if i do get in briefly, there’s 0 functionality. Try again tomorrow
I’m on the iPhone anyway, will have another go in the morning …
Hmmm, Will it work on iPhone now that Droid are competing for the Apple market?
:p
OK, we have added a tag to the wave we are discussing. The tag is “naturenetwork”. Do a search in the search box with the following string, and you should be able to find the wave: “with:public tag:naturenetwork”
I’ll get on it. Well launched, Ian.
Anyone have any particular tips as to how to put the following into effect? I have volunteered to coordinate efforts to write a definitive review with doctors and scientists from all relevant fields (six, as I’ve counted them) related to the pathology that interests me. Lots of people on board, all busy. I want to parcel out a number of abstracts to each of them and get them to choose which among them they find significant or useful, and comment on them to start. Then I’ll put up section headers and hope they’ll let it rip, at least for a while.
Wave sounds like it ought to be good for this, but I don’t know how to implement it. Also, none of them are particularly web-savvy. I’ve been trying for weeks to get other collaborators to work with me on a Google Docs manuscript and it’s like pulling teeth – and that one is intuitive.
Help!
ouch. non web savvy = MS Word + track changes and you = peptic ulcer + gray hair. I tried something similar in Google Docs, and using our in-house wiki. It ended up being me editing 56 DOCs and making 28 PDFs
technology FAIL
Yeah, I’m already endowed in the gray hair department, and am working on the ulcer with some help from the coffee.
I’ll start by trying to connect up with what you launched.
Hmm, tried this and apparently I am not a participant in this wave, but I don’t see how I can join… Not sure if it’s me or Wave.
Hi Sarah – have you set up your googlewave email address? If so let me know what it is and I’ll try to get you on board (should be yourname@googlewave.com).
You can also try Ian’s approach above: “Do a search in the search box with the following string, and you should be able to find the wave: “with:public tag:naturenetwork””
Sorry – that should of course have been “Sara”.
Hi everyone,
It seems there have been some issues for some people about following the URL to the wave. If you’re having problems, drop me an email letting me know what your wave ID is and I’ll invite you directly. Ditto if you need an invite as I have some spares.
Also, don’t worry if when you login it all seems like a very schizophrenic IM conversation – the aim is to start the demo by explaining how to participate, re-play conversations and so on before diving into the cool uses that Ian’s been working on!
Hi Steve,
Thanks, I did try the search but I got a message “There were no results for with:public tag:naturenetwork”. I am sara.rollergirl at the usual address.
HI @Sara – you should be able to get in now.
Same problem here… b.penders@g…
Seems like I’m arriving at this party very late, must spend more time in front of my computer!!
Lou will email you for an invite if you still have some.
I was already a wave participant (because i signed up for it a long time ago for an unknown reason.
The search for naturenetwork doesn’t work for me. Can someone add me?
mark.tummers (at) googlewave.com
OK, @Mark and @Bart, you’ve both been invited to the wave.
@Samantha, I’ve emailed you a google wave invite to your work email
It’s getting nice and busy in there!
@Lou: Thanks for running things over here! This internest business really does make e-commuting across time zones interesting doesn’t it!
What on earth are you all rattling on about? ;)
Oooh, Great and Important Things!
Actually, Wintle are on the Wave yet? Right now is more of a collection of n00bs going round "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing at the damn thing. Myself included!
I don’t “get” Wave, but then again I haven’t really tried. I think I’m spread too thin across various social networks. Still, if someone wants to send me an invite, feel free.
@Ian – no probs :-) I’m already familiar with the time zone thing from Second Life – I even have the post-it on my screen reminding me what time it is where at those crucial slots that are suitable for meetings i.e. worldwide breakfast,lunch or tea times!
@Ken – I’ve emailed you an invite
@Lou: I am THE SUCK at remembering 2L stuff! I’ve emailed Joanna a few times about it, have my downloads spent some time in world to get orientated, and still managed to miss every single Nature event in the last year.
Thanks for the invite, Ian! Will anyone now please invite me to the wave (tried the search with no results as well?)
Sheesh, it really is like begging to come to the party!
eh – it’s stuffysour at you-know-what.
Hahaha! You’re in :)
[feel like late to the party and slightly daft]
wave? email? invites? Nature Network? social on the internet? I have an emailaddy at least (or threee) if anyone has an invite left?
(all in all, I am merely wondering if this isn’t blocked from my work computer anyway….. and of course, I am envious of the rest of you who seem to have gotten the point so much quicker ;) )
o.O
Look what happened when I was there:
I’m scared….
That was the official warning, I should add, not something that someone typed.
@Asa: send me your gmail address
@Eva: LOLz, I’ve had one pop up a couple of times sounding like Scotty from Star Trek asking me to tell em what I was doing and hit refresh
Ever the scientist I am at least a tiny bit curious. Could someone please invite scurry.imperial [at] yada yada yada into this ‘wave’?
Somewhat bemused by difficulty of finding anyone after logging in to Google wave…!
Somewhat bemused by difficulty of finding anyone after logging in to Google wave…!
Or anything…all my searches are coming up blank so far.
Stephen, do you have a gmail address? I guess if not it’ll have you make one. invite on the way. Ken, haven’t found us yet? If you get me your Wave address I’ll see if I can invite you…
Wait…Stephen, do you have a Wave account?
Ok…officially getting tired and confused…
Trying to add Stephen, but wave keeps crashing on me. It now says that I have no contacts and nothing in my inbox and that nobody has a profile picture or name anymore. And it’s been like that for the past ten minutes.
Oh yeah, this is totally revolutionizing the web. It’s like when people first got internet at home.
That speed I mean, not the revolution.
I did it! Stephen, you’re in!
Trying to add Stephen, but wave keeps crashing…
Lovely image Eva. Can you see the beach too?
Thanks!
Hi again,
Ian and I will run the first demo this Friday 4th at 4pm GMT. I can see from the wave that a few people can’t make this – if you’re one of them, could you please fill in on the wave a couple of alternative times and we’ll see if there’s enough demand/overlap in schedules to do a second run-through? Thanks :-)
I do still have some invites going so it’s not too late to sign up if you haven’t already.
I have been checking the search string I posted earlier. At the moment it’s not working. I believe this may be something to do with the public aspect of the wave being a bit flakey. Try just searching by tag “tag:naturenetwork”. That may not work for you, but it may. It should be kept in mind that this is still a very beta service. When a wave grows to a couple of hundred blips it starts to get a little unstable.
Perhaps we should start a new one. We’ve 20+ Wavers™ and a long Wave.
Yes, it’s turned into a bit of a tsunami now.
I still can’t get the Wave search to return anything at all, even for very common words. I’m going to give up for now and crawl back under my rock…
The search still isn’t working. :-( Can someone add me too? rni.boh@…
I also have a few invites left, if anyone’s feeling left out.
Oh, forgot to mention…
There is now an app for Wave on the iPhone. Speed might be a problem, but it’s still quicker than getting t-Mobile to set up your wireless.
@Ken and @Bob – I’ve invited you both directly. There seems to be some issue with the search function – sorry for the frustration it’s causing.
We will be starting a new wave for this afternoon’s demo – let’s all meet at the bottom of the original Nature Network wave and once we see who’s online I can invite you all directly to the demo one.
Thanks Lou.
Thanks, Lou. I’ve got it now.
Lou, once more, you rock.
I haven’t got the wave yet, but right now I am furiously waving all parts of my body to someone in the other building across the street from our lab through the glass wall. This must be what a wave is like without water.
So… can somebody tell me if the thing is useful for anything at all? I’m reluctant to jump on the sign-up/please invite me bandwagon at the moment since, like Ken mentioned about 10,000 comments ago, there are plenty of similar things to sign up for, get confused by, and ultimately end up ignoring… any insights, folks?
@Ralph: Scoring an early morning coffee → nose → keyboard there mate!
@Richard: I can see it being useful as an collaboration wiki. It turns out, unsurprisingly if you read my post, that I am about the last in my office to get a Wave account. Some of us are planning on having some of our planning/strategy sessions in there so that minutes effectively write themselves.
Right now, speed and fragility issues aside, I’m not 100% sure I would use it to replace traditional email. Then again, I have a LOT of email strings saved for work, and this is no different.
Right, that’s me finished for the day
Well done mate! Have a pint for me!
Since I was at work, I wasn’t able to participate in today’s wave demo, although I have replayed it now here at home.
@Ian Brooks. w00t indeed on hitting your first century on NN.
(In light of the “n” of comments from persons named Ian in this thread, I wonder if it was a slight of hand that the 100th comment came from one of them – LOL)
I would suggest giving your good self one of these:-
I learned much more than I previously knew (which was nothing) at Ian (M’s) demo today. I had to leave due to another meeting, but the demo of Robots was especially cool.
@Steelie: Trevor & Simon FTW! Brings back memories…or would if I hadn’t been
so off my facebusy with school work.@Ken: Glad you got something out of it. I’m gonna explore over the weekend. Take advantage of the Replay function!
Thanks to everyone who tried out Wave with us on Friday. If you weren’t able to make it and are still curious, you can go to the bottom of the original Nature Network Wave and there are links to the waves we generated on Friday. The first, the Nature network mini-demo wave shows Ian’s demonstration of how to use robots. Just hit the playback button at the top left of the screen to recreate the demo as it happened. The second demo, Nature Network Wave #2 was more of an experiment to collaborate on a document together. Feel free to continue and extend the discussion!
For those who couldn’t make Friday, we can try to schedule a second demo if there are enough people interested or if there are further questions about the two demo waves.
Thank you for the Link my bloody friend!