Google Wave was announced to the world on 29 May 2009. More than one records manager has asked the question, what does it mean for records management, so I thought I'd provide an overview from that perspective. If it succeeds, Wave could have significant implications for RM and could - potentially - even be a boon for records managers.
This email draws on various online references which are all found at the end of this email. The source of various statements is included as a number to that reference.
Before you read on, you need to discard your current understanding of a 'document', although as you will see, a 'wave' is a type of document.
Google Wave is a communication and collaboration platform based on hosted XML 'documents' (called 'waves'), that support concurrent modifications and updates.(1) Each wave has a unique ID and is composed of the XML document and a set of annotations or pointers used to represent text formatting, spelling suggestions, and hyperlinks.(2)
There are two types of documents: text documents containing 'rich text' and data documents which are invisible to the user and contain tags. XML is a key element of the structure of waves and a reason why records managers need to understand this technology.
Before we assume, however, that wave are documents in the form that we know it, waves may also be:
- a temporary or formal 'discussion' about anything;
- a form of communication that could replace emails (much like Facebook 'wall' chats);
- *multiple* documents instead of attachments(4), in 'a hierarchical-like conversation structure'; (3)
- mini wikis;
- 'a bit like your entire instant messaging history with someone'.(4)
A wave, therefore, is a communication medium that can incorporate input and comments from all those who have access.
Waves contain wavelets.(4 - diagram) A bit confusingly, each wavelet can be a container for any number of uniquely named 'documents' (used in a very general sense - see the dot points above).(3)
Each wavelet has a unique ID and contains both a (richly detailed) list of participants and a set of 'documents'. So, unlike the new xml-based documents (eg docx) that are in a sense an xml based document contained within a zip package containing all the information about that document only, wavelets contain an XML document or documents as well as a participant list. The list of participants has a look and feel similar to Facebook friends or Sharepoint users.
Note however that a wave may have different wavelets with other participants, but there will only be one authoritative wave, or document (usually the wave server where it was created).(3) Any organisation or individual can become a 'wave provider'.(1) Copies of wavelets will be shared across all wave providers that have at least one participant included.
This concept appears to discard the idea of a centralised repository but isn't inconsistent with the idea that an organisation could have its own wave server, and that waves stored within that server could be subject to recordkeeping controls.
How these controls might be applied appears unclear, however it does seem that the concept of hierarchical classification isn't like to apply (in much the same way that it would be difficult to classify Facebook content).
The user's view of a wave depends on their access rights. Participants may be individuals, groups, or robots (eg automated devices that might communicate with other information sources, such as Twitter). Therefore, there is a package (a wavelet) containing not only the base document (wave) but also the names of individuals or groups who have access to the document. This brings a form of access and access control to each document that we would normally associate with access and security controls separate to a document.
The first reaction to this might be to think that this model could be quite unworkable; on the other hand, it seems to work in collaborative environments like Sharepoint where individuals can be invited to join in.
So, a 'wave view' is simple the view that one has to a wave, either individually or as a member of a group. Wavelets may also be restricted to one person and can contain private messages. Single, individual messages are called 'blips'; blips can have other blips attached to them, and all blips can be published or unpublished (eg private).(4)
In most instances, any modifications to a wave will be visible to others 'live', as that person types.(4)
Modifications ('wave operations') made by participants within a wave (which result in 'mutation of a shared object') are undertaken via the underlying communication protocols (an open extension to the XMPP internet messaging protocol) in which version numbers and 'wavelet history' are exchanged to ensure the user sees and can work on the current version of a document.(2)(3) Wave operations may produce a new set of wavelets and documents.(3)
It is possible to re-wind through the history to see what modifications were made, much like a version history but with a 'play' mode. This version history can be filtered to show only the modifications made by certain individuals.
The XMPP protocol provides encryption at the transport level (eg between servers that connect to each other). An additional layer of cryptography provides end-to-end authentication between save providers users cryptographic signatures and certificates.(1)
Waves can be embedded within any blog or website, and applications and extensions (such as Facebook) could also be included in the wave.(4)
Whether Wave will be the way of the future or a 'horribly bloated idea in search of a problem' remains to be seen. But it adds yet another element to the records managers things to manage!
1 - http://www.waveprotocol.org/whitepapers/google-wave-architecture
2 - http://www.waveprotocol.org/whitepapers/internal-client-server-protocol
3 - http://www.waveprotocol.org/draft-protocol-spec
4 - http://mashable.com/2009/05/28/google-wave-guide/
Andrew Warland
Senior Consultant
M: +61 413 043 934
For any technical queries re JISC please email [log in to unmask]
For any content based queries, please email [log in to unmask]
|
