Google Wave

2009 – 2010

With Wave, Google tried to create the ultimate communication tool in just one application. The service was supposed to make cooperation and group communication much easier. The way it worked was that the user created a wave (a document) where several people could communicate with each other in real time. The wave became a collection of conversations, images, videos and links sent within a group. 

The service was too ambitious, hard to learn, and barely an improvement over regular email. It was also ugly. Very ugly. Google Wave died before anyone had understood what it was or how to use it.

Additional info:
Infoworld – Why Google Wave failed: Too complicated, no fun
Techcrunch – The Google Wave That Crashed

From Google themselves: