The initial focus and reaction around Google Wave centers, rightfully, on communication. In particular, the real-time aspects were highlighted and comparisons drawn to Twitter and FriendFeed. Some even tout it as the “one true” communication tool.

It’s important to note, though, that different people have different needs. For example, both Scott Rosenberg and Fred Wilson find the interface to be complicated. Fortunately, under the open development model Google is taking, others are free to design simpler interfaces.

Looking at things from a technical perspective, the communication-centric mindset is noticeably absent. The general architecture is nothing more than an instantly distributed version control system, complete with access control and an extensible content model.

True, that forms a solid foundation for Google Wave the communication tool. It also forms a solid foundation for myriad other applications, including those yet to be imagined. (I’m starting a timer; stop me when the first FUSE file system is released.)

While its interesting to explore the impact of Wave on existing ideas, I also think its important to step away from drawing comparisons. The “killer app” for Wave is likely something that doesn’t exist currently. The synthesis of features in the underlying technology will allow something new to germinate.

It’ll be interesting to see how this evolves. I fully expect to see many front-end interfaces to Wave designed. Some of those will certainly not be geared toward communication uses for the back-end.

A concise description of what Wave is, exactly, seems to be hard to formulate. You have to see it to understand it seems to be a growing consensus. That is a bit frustrating to those trying to conceptualize, but it may be appropriate if Wave truly is a leap forward for communication.

Tim O’Reilly has the best description I’ve come across:

Jens, Lars, and team re-imagined email and instant-messaging in a connected world, a world in which messages no longer need to be sent from one place to another, but could become a conversation in the cloud. Effectively, a message (a wave) is a shared communications space with elements drawn from email, instant messaging, social networking, and even wikis.

TechCrunch also has an extensive rundown of Wave and the capabilities that were demonstrated today.

Wave is the result of a two-year long effort led by Lars and Jens Rasmussen, the creators of what became Google Maps. Their success on that project gave them the opportunity to pursue this open-ended idea. While they have raised the hype meter to new levels, only time will tell if they have another hit on their hands.

Wave remains in the prototype stage at this juncture. It was announced at a developer conference for a reason: feedback is needed from the engineering community. For it to gain public acceptance, developers will need to embrace it and build capabilities around it.

My interest has certainly been piqued. I’ve spent the day reading articles, watching videos, and researching specifications. Expect follow-up posts with more detailed thoughts.