Dan, I wasn't able to duplicate the space-bar suggestion. When I pressed space bar it took me to the next wave. It sounds like there's a shortcut to navigating within a wave. I'll learn it--it will help. However, that doesn't solve the problem where the latest messages flow off the window.
Something needs to give a clue that there's another reply to read. How can you tell if you bring a wave up and the reply is not visible? I really don't like scrolling to see replies. Dave, I tried using in-line replies. It appends the reply at the end of the chain. That again isn't visible to the next viewer. Let me know if I'm missing it. I really just want to click a "click here to reply" and start editing. Also, what if on natural boundaries the chain could be sized and then become "sticky?" This would help the chess scenario. The chess move lists flow off the window. Currently to create a message/reply I'll edit the gadget wavelet and type it in at the top. To prevent it from pushing the chess board down off the window I have done as you suggest and delete previous messages (this is in Google Wave). It would be cool to size the chain and make it scroll its messages. In this case the "click here to reply"'s could be pre-pended or appended. Either would work to keep the latest message visible. I'm saying these things but I'm biased toward my experience. I have no clue what the real direction should be. I think though that for future adoption the learning curve of wave needs to be natural, easy for the novice emailer but not with the limits of email of course. Did Google do any "contextual inquiry" when designing Google Wave? If so, can that data be opened up for us to read? Scott
