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5 Email Problems not Solved by Google Wave

Google wave is an interesting new technology for communication. In concept it's supposed to fix many of the issues associated with email. While it solved some of the back & forth in traditional email threads it fails to solve a number key email issues and instead introduces it's own set of problems by radicly changing how people work.

  1. It's still not possible to easily tell if your message was received, read or even opened.  Just like email you will never know if the important proposal made it.
  2. Information overload.  The problem is finding what's important. New things move to the top regardless of how important they are. Compare this to how you organize papers on your desk, important things move to the top.
  3. If you say something stupid you can't take it back. Just like email once it's out there you're done. Even if the other person hasn't seen it yet. They will now play it back in it's full glory.
  4. Privacy. You can't send something and keep the recipient from forwarding it on.
  5. Transfer of large files or collections. You can still attach things but if you want to share 50 wedding photos or a large home movie Wave won't help you much.  It's a communication pipe but files are secondary citizens.
  6. Bonus #6. Spam.  You'll can still get it and you'll still be expected to flag it.  So there will be false positives. An extensive social network reputation doesn't help.  A lack of a social network doesn't keep you from sending 1000's of messages.  It's still early so there is little spam but this will change if this catches on.
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