AppJet (creator of EtherPad http://etherpad.com/) is bought by google and workers will integrate Wave Team.

http://www.zorgloob.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/etherpad.png

I haven't been using EtherPad above a few demo sessions so far, but came away impressed with how well it performed on a small laptop's screen EVEN in large font-size conditions (18 to 24p). Especially so in comparison with other collaborative tools—such as Google Wave, which felt pretty unusable in the same setup...

Let's hope something good will come out of this, even though AppJet's technology will first have to scale the Not-Invented-Here mentality/syndrome @Google [it's universal, so why shouldn't it be there as well?]
http://etherpad.com/static/img/wavejet.jpg http://etherpad.com/ep/blog/posts/google-acquires-appjet

You should read the official blog post, everybody is depressed by the decision, it really is a pity they didn't join the google docs team. I thought google had already – at least partially – given up on google wave...

David, do you mean comments to the post in AppJet's blog?

While perusing those, I wound up on this page with the MARVELLOUS NEWS below (off now to create a new EtherPad just in case....)

EtherPad is Back Online Until Open Sourced

Sat Dec 05, by Aaron

Dear EtherPad Users,

In light of the overwhelming negative response to our last blog post, we are working on changes to the transition plan that we think you will appreciate.

We intend to open source all of the code to EtherPad and the AppJet Web Framework. Until we do this, we have re-enabled new pad creation from the etherpad home page.

In the long term, I think you will be really happy with Google Wave. But I realize that in the short term, you either do not have a Wave account or Wave does not yet support the particular EtherPad functionality that you rely on.

The team we are joining already gets open souce, and we hope that by releasing the code to EtherPad we will not only help you transition your existing workflow, but also contribute to the broader advancement of realtime collaboration technology.

http://epstaging.info/ep/blog/posts/back-online-until-open-sourced

Is Epstaging.info a real Etherpad domain?

The post isn't on the etherpad.com blog. I've emailed them asking why.

Wouldn't checking up in the NIC have been simpler?
Here's somewhat shortened epstaging.info record off
http://www.nic.info/whois/domain/Epstaging

Domain ID D28526406-LRMS
Domain Name EPSTAGING.INFO
Created On 14-May-2009 07:11:14 UTC
Last Updated On 13-Jul-2009 20:34:59 UTC
Expiration Date 14-May-2010 07:11:14 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar GoDaddy.com Inc. (R171-LRMS)
Status CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
Status CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED
Status CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Registrant ID CR2914740
Registrant Name Aaron Iba
Registrant Organization AppJet
Registrant Street1 2140 Taylor St. #1202
Registrant City San Francisco
Registrant State/Province California
Registrant Postal Code 94133
Registrant Country US
Registrant Phone +1.4152059028
Registrant Email aaronappjet.com
Admin ID CR2914742
Admin Name Aaron Iba
[...]

I'm very disappointed in myself. I heard about EtherPad right before this was announced, and had a chance to sign up. This is the first company Google acquired that i didn't have an account before they closed them off. (Writely, GrandCentral, Gizmo5) =[

I've never used EtherPad, but Wave certainly needs a lot of work before it's usable on a regular basis so I suppose this is good news.

DPic, if I understood the announcement correctly, old EtherPad (professional or enterprize – i.e. paid) accounts will cease to function after 31st March 2010 anyway. So having an account there wouldn't be much of a prize anyway. But, since AppJet is making the product open source, presumably it will live on in some other form, and for now – you don't need an account to create new, public pads anyway. Just type in a doc-name of your own choice [this creates the new pad], then protect the url and it ought be reasonably safe....

PS. I can well understand what it was that attracted Google Wave to AppJet in the first place – the team with their inside-the-heads knowledge, not the EtherPad product ["a talent grab"].