So I have gotten a chance to start playing with Google Buzz. It has a nice “low bar, high ceiling” design. Your average American who is used to posting or reading status updates on Twitter or Facebook will find it familiar (very different the entirely weird GoogleWave). On the other end of the spectrum, shareaholics will find value in the ability to stream content from multiple properties through Google profile similar to social aggregators like FriendFeed or SocialThing! Where Buzz starts to get more interesting is the ability to post from Google Maps with attached location data. This video shows all the details.
While each of these features pose a threat to competing niche startups, looking across the breadth services crammed into one platform, the only real competitor is Facebook.
If, like everyone in America, you already have a Facebook account… why would you use this?
I can think of four good reasons. If you…
1. Already use Gmail as your main email address and are connected to many friends through this, Buzz allows for one-stop-shopping communications.
2. Have a specific social group associated with your Gmail account, it makes even more sense. For example if you use Gmail as your work email Buzz becomes like Yammer only with much broader functionality built in.
3. Would like to simplify and share your content from social sites (and do not already use a social aggregation platform). Buzz makes this easier than Facebook, but your friends have to be on Gmail too.
4. Use Google Maps and have a smart phone. This is definitely a platform to consider since you can right from this app – pictures, reviews, etc. If you have an Android platform phone it is a no brainer.
The exciting thing about Google Buzz are the integration possibilities with other Google tools. In the launch press conference, Google promised corporate support in the near future (look out Yammer). I imagine there will soon be deeper integration with Android platform phones. Youtube, Google Trends, Goggles and of course Search all have exciting new functionality when paired with Buzz.
The real potential to disrupt the current Facebook monopoly is the fact that Google has sworn to make this an open platform. That means all of the data will be open and free for everyone to play with. The decision to be an open platform was one of the smartest moves Twitter made early on and spawned many innovative services that dramatically increased the value of their product (Twitter clients, data visualization tools, etc.).
User adoption will determine whether this will be an important marketing platform in the future. Are these reasons compelling enough for you to try it?
Russ Hopkinson
Comments
Connections
you raise some good points as i’ve heard concerns about buzz. nonetheless, something that came to mind is the prevalence of facebook and understanding its attraction to people. however, i find it amusing that the degree by which people use technology of other sorts to keep tabs on people has also maintained their separation. thus, facebook seemingly allows two-way interactivity where there is also bottom-feeder technology that instills a somewhat vapid stalker mobility to one-way technology feeds. presumably, an initial use of this may allow someone to make contact by moving over to then — let’s say — low tech discourse or meeting vis a vis actual contact, yet, low tech doesn’t matter with low-rent or low-bar (so low it’s in the gutter sensibility or lack thereof) in some teams or individuals.
i don’t have a facebook page having seen the onslaught of privacy issues and perverse sense of ownership that has become implicit. the attraction is obvious, yet, the vortex it presents in also seeing the abuse of other technologies that should, would, could bring people together, yet, they simply maintain a one-way directorial as a poor curricula leading to one more example of sociopathic smarminess that has far more potential yet in the hands of low-rent, low-bar morons, it becomes simply a catalogue via cesspool.
liked your piece you posted. facebook has become so ubiquitous — wanted to state the obvious misuse of technology with the lemming diversion from abuses on some platforms while everyone is looking the other way or merely at a different screen.
cheeers!!
Meanwhile, serious concerns about privacy are hampering the initial success of Buzz:
“Google has admitted to BBC News that testing of its controversial social network Buzz was insufficient. The firm has had to make a series of changes to the service after a ferocious backlash from users concerned about intrusions of privacy.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8517613.stm
Apparently, Buzz was only tested internally and, unlike many other Google services, didn’t have to go through trials with external testers. Since the launch of Buzz, privacy experts have pointed out serious problems that Buzz could cause for journalists, activists, businesses or – wait for it – people having an illicit affair.
Buzz did have some privacy concerns at launch – the biggest being that everyone could see who you were talking to the most. These were addressed over the weekend (see below article)
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-google-went-into-code-red-and-saved-google-buzz-2010-2
Although there are hundreds of things going on with gmail, google buzz, and google.com itself, here’s reasons why a student would NEVER use google buzz.
1. We have a school email, an outside email is our professional voice.
I signed up for a gmail account for 3 reasons.
It was required my android phone
My school email wasn’t as professional as I felt I should be
I could send larger files with gmail
For full report:http://smobrandon.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/4-reasons-students-wont-use-buzz/
Thanks & Regards
Sara Brown
http://www.datarecoverysoftware.com/datarecoverysoftware/data-recovery-digitalpictures.html
Google buzz rocks I got 500 clicks within 3 days–
I heard this sentence from one the google buzz user..Is it possible..good..Scott Spinella