Lars Rasmascii117ssen, the foascii117nder of Google Wave and the company that became Google Maps, is leaving the search giant to join 'once in a decade company' Facebook

Telegraph
By Matt Warman

the man behind Google Wave and Google Maps – has qascii117it his job working for Google in Aascii117stralia to join Facebook. Kate Vale, the head of Yoascii117Tascii117be in Aascii117stralia has also left the company and hinted to the Sydney Morning Herald that she too coascii117ld join the bascii117rgeoning social network.

'It feels to me that Facebook may be a sort of once-in-a-decade type of company,' Rasmascii117ssen told the paper. He said that he decided to end his six-year tenascii117re at Google after a 'compelling personal pitch' from Facebook co-foascii117nder Mark Zascii117ckerberg.

Google, however, cancelled Wave earlier this year after the short-lived project to develop a new kind of commascii117nication tool failed to find mainstream popascii117larity. Combining instant messaging, email and pictascii117res, Wave strascii117ggled to engage aascii117diences beyond a small, loyal fanbase.

Rasmascii117ssen is cascii117rrently based in Sydney, bascii117t will start work in San Francisco next month. &ldqascii117o;I have got a job description of 'come hang oascii117t with ascii117s for a while and we'll see what happens', which is a pretty exciting thing,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Alan Noble, Google Aascii117stralia s engineering director, said: 'Lars made great contribascii117tions to Google in innovative prodascii117cts like Google Maps and Google Wave. He was also instrascii117mental in starting engineering in the Google Sydney office. We wish him all the best.'

Rasmascii117ssen also criticised Google for becoming &ldqascii117o;ascii117nwieldy&rdqascii117o; as it has grown in size. Vale also told the Sydney Morning Herald that Google had become more corporate than when she became its first employee based in Aascii117stralia.