Apparently, like everyone else, the Seattle Times is very interested in trying to figure out what to actually use Google Wave for. But while most are trying to use it for either fun, realtime chats, movie reenactments, or inner-business workings, the Seattle Times have tasked Wave with a larger goal: Catching a killer.
This public Google Wave has been set up to involve the community by offering realtime information that anyone may know about the location of a man suspected of killing four Seattle police officers. A search of a Seattle-area home this morning turned up nothing, but various reports of sightings are coming in, and the Times is opening a Wave to help with the flow of information.
About 45 minutes ago, the Wave was opened with just a few people in it. Already, there are over 100 people in here now communicating quickly with updates. Included are Wave elements with links to police scanner audio, live video footage of the search, a suspect description, and information about local schools on lockdown. It’s actually quite amazing to watch this unfold and get updated before your very eyes.
That said, it will also be a bit overwhelming for many people to follow. In just the first Wave message in the thread, there are four people currently updating things, for example. As one users participating wrote, “distracting/annoying, mostly,” with regard to the live-typing element of Wave. Another simply wrote, “google wave is a mess… back to twitter.”
But others participating are amazed at the rapid flow of information coming in. And plenty are able to follow along. As someone else writes, “That last radio about the fresh blood was pretty chilling… hopefully they are close.”
The fact that this is a public Wave that anyone can join is also both a blessing and a curse. Right now, the comments are pretty much all on-point, but that’s only because many people on the web still don’t know about, or have access to Wave yet. If they did, undoubtedly forums like this would turn into a mess of spam. That’s something Google has to think very seriously about for Wave going forward.
Still, a use case like this is very interesting. A manhunt is all about gathering information. Could there be misinformation? Of course, but there could be on tip lines as well. If a police department had someone watching this Wave (I’m not sure if that’s the case right now), they could do their best to attempt to filter the good information from the bad. Something like this could also be potentially useful for a missing child.
Of course, for all of these types of cases, a solid mobile interface may be better than someone sitting at their computer using Wave. Presumably, the best tips will come from someone who is out and about and sees the suspect.
[thanks Brian]
Spelling. Some sort of editing would be nice. Must be the recession and those massive layoffs of copy editors.
theres nothing stopping me from editting information or unputing wrong information on purpose. its just a glorified wikipedia discussion page
Can you embed youtube videos in wikipedia? Can you create plugins/extensions for wikipedia? Does it have the ability to translate as you type (being developed)?
I think its a little more than wikipedia don’t you think?
No, it’s still a large clusterfuck.
Wouldn’t mind so much about the spelling if the end-result is understandable by the majority. Google Wave really nabbed the Manhunt there.
This is one of the reasons why google wave won’t suck unlike some of the predictions of tech-critiques …
Here’s the reason why google wave is one of the best: http://bit.ly/google-wave-why-should-you-use-it
Google Wave revolution in chat room! WOW, rocketscientist at googleplex know how to code something other that a scanner machine!
briliant!
Why to spent so much money on PHDs to code crap like this?
A good ole fashioned 888 tips number would suffice. And in this case a 911 exception can be made as well.
911 would be my first choice, but im old school like that.
I hope they catch the guy quickly using Google Wave, twitter, whatever works.
The “suspected” link has a video “Police shooting: Man who helped baristas”. Pretty chilling description of what happened. Perp walks into starbucks with four cops working on laptops. Barista asks if could help. The perp turns and starts shooting.
What would happen if suspected guy’s friend misguide by posing wrong messages in wave?
Good point. Never thought a guy like that would have any friends, but there are prick pranksters out there.
Reminds me of the stories I used to hear about cop killers in nyc. Rarely caught. Cops got there first. Not sure if true, but wouldn’t be surprising.
This could be a great use for wave but… having it open to the public is the wrong idea. Gossip and supposition only hinder this sort of investigation. Used internally it could be an amazing tool though.
Awesome but GOD so laggy. I’m using Chrome, too!
Minor quibble – the police officers were from the city of Lakewood, which is ~45 min. South of Seattle.
Google wave can be denoted as modified form of Vbulletin (forums) with added functionalities..
I would think that Twitter would draw an even larger pool of information, faster and be accessible to everyone with a non-smart phone on up, due to Twitter’s txt integration. It could also be mentioned on newscasts and on the radio with a hashtag or a custom-created account.
Disclaimer: I don’t work for Twitter and have no commercial connection to them, but just thought that if broad reach is the goal, then the best service is the one that has huge participation and low technical hurdles. Agreed that an 888 number would also be a good approach – using both with an email address for folks who prefer computer but do not have a Twitter account seems like a good way to cover all the bases.
Hm, interesting abuse of Google Wave robots here… someone added two robots to the wave and they’re beginning to spam and be annoying in general.
Based on the article title I was expecting…something totally a different. A different kind of Manhunt as it were.
Yeah, I COMPLETELY misread that headline,
I think I would rather have this not allowing anyone to comment from looking at how when people comment on aol, yahoo and different news site you always end up with a list racist, sexist or bigots commenting; with those organizations doing nothing to stop it besides a report this person link beside there name.
Interesting use, but the author is right: As soon as this becomes open to the public spam will be a problem (if not out of control).
Public waves work ok right now because not everyone has access, but it’ll be tough once the general public has access. And right now it looks like the Spam button applies to the entire wave, instead of one of the replies.
Not sure how you would report / block a user from a public wave, but who controls that? Will it end up being like moderated forums? Not really a new thing, other than the real time information being exchanged.
It is the obvious next (or future) step for some public waves, to be moderated that is. An admin should be able to lock certain entries, and let the discussion continue in replies to that post until it seems valid to change it.
It is also easy to imagine that future “public” waves only will allow user that have been active for at least some time, in order to avoid spammers etc.
Remember we are using a preview, not even a beta, of wave.
That solution does not help GW’s rep as a glorified forum.
True. Remember though that that if you use something like an forum, chances are that it will eventually get the reputation of being a forum no matter what it was intended for…
Wow great use of Google Wave. It’s coming along.
http://www.wavenut.com
hmmm so how do we join this public way .. man i cant figure out anything for google wave
http://googlefreak.cyberdera.com
we are also trying to figure some stuff out lol
Everyone has access to Wikipedia pages too, but over time the greater good tends to prevail.
Public waves beg for an editor with a vested interest to keep the wave clean.
Would someone tell me how to create a public wave?
Add easypublic@appspot.com as a participant in the wave (and for quick easier access; to your contacts list) and it’s automatically Public.
what’s the difference between a public wave and a public chatroom that you can create with other chat program?
Google Wave lets you upload pictures of naked women.
that’s pretty cool!
I agree khan,this looks pretty interesting!
I still do not find Google wave as that useful service. It is over hyped service.
In case of this post, i feel it would have been possible even through twitter or any other media, google wave wasn’t the only option.
Further proof that Google is helping to stop serial killers as well.
further proof that the shameless of the cult of Google, the world’s largest content thief ever.
Right when Google Wave was announced, I immediately realised it’s potential for SOME of tasks google purposed to use it. But I have always thought that’s not quite an e-mail & IM killer it is praised do be.
I and my team have tested, but it was not too successful until the right task came by my sight.
Now I have to admit, Google Wave ROCKS, BLASTS and ROARS when it comes to one task: collaborating on a series of documents.
Instant single-place online editing works! And moreover, inline replies work too – discussions that happen are very precisely location based, so you’re always in context.
But what you DO have to get that benefit is to develop some corporate culture of using wave, it takes some time and practice.
On the downside, there are BUGS, no abuse protection, no undelete, no stability and no speed.
Hey, MG, I can write an article about real issues and benefits of Google Wave usage for a REAL task, if someone wants that.
Google Wave doesn’t display here in the office but will definitely check this out later!
The criminal thought that he had got away with the crime but he didn’t count on Google Wave and the Texas Rangers busting his…
Wow, does Google just totally ROCK or what??
RT
http://www.web-anonymity.de.tc
Well.. I guess in the end, there is something to be said for google’s awareness of your online goings on. The more they no about you, the more people like the Seattle Police can hold you accountable for possibly interfereing in more serious matters like this.
If your Google avatar is an extension of yourself online (with knowledge of your address/real name/etc.) would people then be less prone to behave inappropriately in these situations?
In the end, google wave didnt directly help the officers find the suspect, but rather a routine check on a possible stolen car during a drive by…suspect shot dead.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/12/01/washington.suspect.shot/index.html
This must be a great idea to use Google wave for such useful things.
did it work?
did it help?
No.
So… don’t you find this just a TAD BIT disgusting?
it is a bit disgusting to see google try to use a tragedy to market some BS wannabe service.
How in the world is it Google’s fault the Seattle Times created a wave to discuss this case?
The mind reels…
Then send out some invites! Lets get this rolling!
I am increasingly convinced that TechCrunch is a media whore for Google.
They need to implement moderator controls… ex the person who starts a wave can specify editdeleteetc rights.
I always figured google wave could be used for cool like this……. then I logged into Wave, see no one I know has it, and logged out