Who gives a buzz about Google Buzz?
Silicon Valley likes shiny new things so the initial reaction to Google's just-launched social service called Buzz has been pretty positive but in terms of those who don't think it is much to write home about, there are two big names - Microsoft and Yahoo.
Both felt so strongly about it that they went public. Or did they make their feelings heard because they are frankly worried about Google stealing their thunder and doing a better job than they have done so far?
In a statement, Microsoft told the influential blog TechCrunch:
"Busy people don't want another social network, what they want is the convenience of aggregation. We've done that. Hotmail customers have benefitted from Microsoft working with Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and 75 other partners since 2008."
When it comes to Yahoo, it decided to get ahead of the headlines by sending out an e-mail to remind journalists that the web portal had in fact done the very same thing as Buzz but about 18 months earlier.
A couple of hours before Google's press conference at its HQ in Mountain View, this was the e-mail I got in my inbox:
"It's been almost a year and a half since we first launched Yahoo! Updates - a social feature that lets people share their status, content and online activities and stay connected to what their friends and family are doing on Yahoo! and across the Web."
Google's previous attempts to tap into the social aspect of the web have not been a roaring success thus far. Orkut, which is big in Brazil, and OpenSocial are good enough products but not runaway successes.
As social networking continues to prove its importance in the online world, Google clearly didn't want to start from ground zero. Tapping into its estimated 176m Gmail users therefore makes a lot of sense. If everyone signs up and uses Buzz, it would make Google a force to be reckoned with in the social networking space.
Of course information translates into power and money. And as Tom Krazit of Cnet.com noted:
"They (Google) see not only an opportunity to unify the social Web and make things easier for users, but a chance to erode Facebook's advantage in the reams of user data it has amassed behind closed walls that Google--and Google's advertisers--can't see. The only way they'll be able to do that is by creating a system that is as compelling and easy to use as Facebook".
And that is where the rub is. Is Buzz more user-friendly and "compelling" than Facebook?
Personally I have only played around with Buzz for a short amount of time but initially it seems like it will take a bit of work to prove itself useful to me given that I have invested a lot of time and energy creating and building up my Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles.
It would seem to me that not having a relationship from the get-go with Facebook is a bit of a negative for the service, though Google's Todd Jackson did say that he thought that would happen somewhere down the line.
Interestingly enough, in Yahoo's e-mail it underlined its recently announced "expanded integration with Facebook that will allow people to connect with Facebook friends on Yahoo! and share Yahoo! content with Facebook friends as well."
That gets filed under the "Ya Boo Sucks To You" column I think!
The New York Times is reporting that today, Wednesday, "Facebook plans to announce it is improving the live chat service on its site by allowing it to be integrated into other services like AIM, AOL's instant messaging network, which is among the most popular in the United States."
I am a big Gmail user but am fearful of my inbox getting overloaded with all those Buzz updates. It is already under strain from Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn notifications along with all those job offers and party invites, just as you would expect. But then again, I know it is something I will get used to and eventually accommodate.
There are also privacy issues.
The default setting for Buzz posts is automatically public, which is all good and well as long as you are not trashing the boss. Buzz is also configured to follow the people you e-mail most. For a lot of people that will probably tend to be employers and fellow workers as opposed to friends and family.
Larry Magid pointed out in the San Jose Mercury News that the geo-location element of Buzz might spell trouble for the amorous philanderer and suchlike:
"As with all privacy tools, the key is how you use them. My concern is that some people might forget to use the privacy tools and send the wrong information to the wrong people.
"Imagine sending a Buzz out to your significant other that you're stuck at work, only to accidentally reveal that you're actually located in a romantic restaurant down the street from the office."
I am not alone in my circumspection.
Internet entrepreneur Kevin Rose, who is also a founder of the social bookmarking website Digg has this to say:
"Not sure where Buzz fits in my arsenal of social media tools, how often I'll use it, or if it will eventually feel too much like unread email -- but I'm happy to see Google taking social media seriously. It's early days, let the attention/follower wars begin."
There is little doubt that despite Microsoft and Yahoo hurling some criticism at Buzz, the main concern for Google is Facebook which itself is refusing to rest on its laurels.
"We don't aspire to be just a Web site where people connect and share with friends," Ethan Beard, director of the Facebook developer network and a former Google executive told the New York Times.
"We want to be the underlying technology people use to connect with friends wherever they are on the Web."
Let battle commence!
Anyone else out there tried Buzz? Google hopes to have it available to all Gmail users by the end of the week. You need a Google profile and Gmail account to get started.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~36~RS~)
Comments
I am sure I am not alone in thinking that do we, the PEOPLE, really need another portal to follow/poke/annoy/stalk others? Don't we have enough already? Are so many people only on these social network sites because they have been told to register, to make it look like ABC has more friends then they actually do.
Are people going to sign up "because it's made by Google" in the same way we buy records "because they're produced by Sony" (or whatever)?
I am sure there's some element of brand loyalty and I don't doubt that Google will see high numbers of people signing up (if they have a choice with being g-mail users that is, are they going to be "pre-signed" up by any chance?) but like facebook, I expect out of the n billion people in the world, the numbers of active users will remain a very small percentage (obviously advertised as an "INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF USERS ...").
Well, for those who do give away their private details so eagerly, I hope you enjoy the site and the privacy concerns it will being, the scares, the targetted hacks and oh, your data being sold on to the highest bidder.
The CIA was right, people just flock like sheep to these sites with no regard for their privacy - who needs to investigate things anymore when people themselves so freely give it away!
You can keep Buzz, Facebook and all the other sites thank you, I like to see my friends face to face and talk to them in person about their day etc, not just read it on a public "wall".
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Do we need two separate blog posts, on the same topic, on the same day?
Surely one advantage of Rory and Maggie having a blog each is that more – and crucially - different tech topics could be covered?
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"Do we need two separate blog posts, on the same topic, on the same day?"
At least it's 2 non-apple related blogs ;)
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Somethings are better when there's a single dominant provider. eBay is an example - because everything's in one place. FaceBook is another, because everyone's in one place. It's good that Yahoo, Google and others try to invade the social networking space, because it keep's Facebook on its toes. But Buzz will fail because it requires a Gmail account - unlike every other social network which is mail-provider independent. Unless Gmail achieves ubiquitous usage (ain't gonna happen), Buzz will not be able to gain critical mass.
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Buzz? Meh.
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Ref KITE
Don't start all that Apple stuff again,
only to say Norway have stopped taking anymore pr-orders of the IPAD, to much interest in it.
Sorry could not help myself,
think we should be talking Google.
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If Google sign up Farmville they could be serious competition to Facebook, 15m users wanting better access. Not even Apple have managed that yet (where's our iPhone app!???)
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Isn't this just like facebook or twitter? surely there are enough "social" networks out there already without creating more!
I really like google as a search engine, swear by igoogle and gmail, but seriously I see no value to this. Yahoo claim they came up with it first, erm, not really I think about a dozen others got there before they did.
Just like search engines, the market is getting saturated, it's quality not quantity we need.
surely they should have spent the time they used developing this, to plug some of the holes in their security.
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Personally, I'm just annoyed at there being _yet another_ product called "Buzz" - I already use the music software and play the game...
It's just going to get confusing for myself and others if I use a social network called "Buzz" as well!
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I got Buzz last night on gmail made my first posting, it seem extremely easy to use but...
To me it's very similar to twitter except your post can be longer and you can attach media like on facebook. Most user like facebook because of the apps available on there(As above Farmville etc).
I really don't see a place for it but I only have about 6 gmail users in my contacts where as on facebook i've got around 350 friends from school and the various places i've worked.
Only time will tell if it's going to make it or not.
Oh and for those who want to know to get rid of it out of you gmail there's a "turn off buzz" link at the bottom of the window.
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Google introduced a social networking tool called Google Buzz Tuesday that allows sharing of status updates, images, and videos via a new Gmail tab called Google Buzz. The Google Buzz features will also be available on Android based phones as well as the iPhone (via a Web-based application) allowing for real-time updates to your Google Buzz feed that can show up on a new version of Google's mobile maps. Google appears that it is serious about taking on Facebook, and having Google Buzz becoming the new Facebook. And Google just acquired Aardvark, a company that developed a social networking search program.
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You can understand why Microsoft are feeling caught out by this. They have been releasing inferior and late products for at least the last 10 years (infact around the time Steve Balmer took charge). They have few products left that are true top of their game, the usual story with Microsoft is that you can better elsewhere, usually for less. The only real execptions to this are their Office products and their Developer tools.
Google > Bing
Apache > IIS
Opera > Firefox > Safari > IE
Walkman > iPod > iRiver > Zune
PS3 > Wii > Xbox
Mac > Linux > Windows
I can understand why they are feeling the threat of Google (and others), everything Microsoft does, Google have already done it, for free and better...
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I pretty much agree with you MarkG except you missed out openoffice which is a better product IMO than MS Office, having used both in recent years.
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