(flickr/RedHerring1Up)

I’ve wanted to write this bit for a long time, but couldn’t. I had yet to receive the elusive Google Wave invite.

Yesterday, it finally happened.

Hopefully you’ve heard of Google’s latest invention, a real-time communication tool via the Internet that’s got everyone excited, partly because it is potentially awesome and partly due to its limited release.  You practically have to apply to Google to get an invite.

My tech-savvy friend Taylor finally sent me an invite, but not before filling me in on the basic concept of Google Wave about two weeks ago. Even then, I was excited. “This could revolutionize journalism,” I told him.

Really, I swear.

I wanted to clarify that point so you know that this was my idea, and I had it first. I don’t care that this lady wrote this article before I got around to typing this post. My idea. Not hers.

She does, however, hit on a few of the major points I would have wanted to make, as well as give me hope. In her article, she points out that many media organizations are already using the Wave for a variety of purposes.

Most people seem to focus on the community building aspect of Google Wave. It’s a bit like Twitter in the sense that things are updated in real time. But with the Wave, everybody sees everything, not just what someone else wants you to see (in 140 characters or less). Essentially, an unlimited amount of people can all be working in the same window at the same time. It’s almost like and AIM chat, except with more people.

The thing that sets the Wave apart from its similar predecessors is what you can do inside a Wave besides talk to one another. Beyond conversations, projects, documents, etc. can all be worked on in a Wave. Everyone sees updates in real time. If I was typing this in Google Wave, you’d see the words and phrases form letter by letter.

The best thing? If this was in the Wave, you could go back, delete my last paragraph, and retype it to your choosing.

This was the aspect that floored me: the ability to change any content inside the wave, even stuff that you did not directly produce. My mind immediately flashed to writing a news story. How big of a pain are double bylines? Not anymore. With the Wave, to reporters could actually, literally write a story together. Or how much time could be trimmed off the editing process if a story is copy edited as it’s written? Nobody likes an editor reading over their shoulder, but maybe it would be acceptable if he/she is reading it from across the room.

The Wave could, essentially, be a massive time-saver that could quicken the process of breaking news stories while simultaneously making sure that the story is well written, without error, and factual.

I’m drooling thinking about this right now. So cool.

Apparently some folks at the LA Times are thinking of the same things I am. Which is good, because hopefully people will actually follow through with these ideas, but sad, because I wanted to revolutionize the game (of journalism, that is).

It seems the Post hasn’t really picked on on this phenomenon, except for a small tech article. Maybe they’re off their game.