It has been about 6 months since Google launched the anticipated real-time communication platform, Wave. Since then, people have been documenting and using this communication platform in many ways. If you are still looking for the right documentation about Wave, you should have a look at Gina Trapani’s Complete Guide to Google Wave which is one of the most complete guides I ‘ve seen around about Wave.

So, what are these quick start guides about? There are 6 ready-to-go templates that help you use and understand Google Wave even better. These include a blank wave, a discussion wave, a task tracking wave, a meeting wave, a document wave and last but not least, a brainstorm wave. Each one of them starts a corresponding new wave that already includes some data in it including some text/paragraph formatting and some times a Google Wave gadget.

Why don’t you just start a new wave.

Our goal with this release is to let the world run their own etherpad servers so that the functionality can live on even after we shut down etherpad.com.

So, if you are up for a challenge you can read these instructions for compiling and running the EtherPad open source release and try out your own etherpad server.

I remember using EtherPad quite a lot of times since the day it launched. I only had the chance to use the free edition and I have to say it was enormously handy, most of the times being a time-saver. There were times when EtherPad was the first thing that crossed my mind while Google Docs was second. Over the last year it also got prettier with more attractive buttons, lists and colors. However it did not have as many features as Google Docs have but the real-time-thing just blew my mind away. Real-time back then was something beyond the web’s status quo. People had in mind that you have to ask for something to get something. It was hard to think you could get something while not having asked for something.

Another interesting aspect of this acquisition is that

the EtherPad team will continue its work on realtime collaboration by joining the Google Wave team

Well, I am guessing Google Wave will change the world after all. Although Google Wave is responsible for a piece of the real-time collaboration today’s status, it definitely needs better user interface/experience and a whole bunch of new features. Probably user experience almost overcoming our current cognition and features that will knock our door even if we are not expecting anyone. The sure thing is that the web is getting more and more real time and I love it!

So, I am hoping to see Google Wave getting serious very soon.