Introduction to Google Buzz
Just recently Google released yet another new service called
Google Buzz. As expected, Google Buzz generated a great deal of
conversation and comparison. Questions like “Is it better than Twitter?” and “Is
it like Facebook?” and even “Do we need more social networking options?”. In
this article we’ll take a look at not just the product itself but the
conversation surrounding it as well.
Buzz: The Overview
Google Buzz in its desktop form is merely a social
networking extension of Gmail. If you are already a Gmail user
then Buzz should have already magically appeared on your account and
told you how cool it is. It adds a Buzz link and icon in with the rest
of your Gmail navigation. From within Buzz you can post comments to
private groups or the general public, follow people, comment on other people’s
posts, email posts, share images and videos, and do some other general social
networking stuff. There is also integration (albeit limited in some cases) with
a handful popular social websites such as Twitter, YouTube, Flickr
and Picasa.
The mobile version of Google Buzz offers many of the same
features as the desktop version plus location data. It uses Google Maps,
imagine that, to let you know where a tagged post or group of posts were made.
You can also view posts near a location that you choose or around your current
location. You can even post from your phone by simply speaking your content and
Buzz will convert your comments into text.
The Buzz
As with just about every product that Google has ever
pushed out the door, Google Buzz has generated a great deal of
discussion and speculation. Compound that “normal” buzz with the fact that Google
chose to release Buzz without ever issuing a beta release, it’s not hard
to imagine why everyone seems to have a comment. When I first heard about Google
Buzz being released I immediately wondered why I hadn’t heard much about it
before. I wondered how I could have missed the beta release. As it turns out
there was a reason for that.
In reading the reviews and comments that have compiled to
date it looks like Google Buzz has just two camps, like it and hate it.
There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground with people’s opinions. Those that
like it cite the integration with Gmail and the ease of use with searching,
following and posting. Those that hate it cite lack of rich features, lack of
integration with some notable social sites like Facebook, and bugs they’ve
encountered.
The Critique
Google Buzz is an interesting and unexpected product.
While it only makes sense that Google would want a piece of the social
web pie, it’s surprising that Buzz was released without ever going
through beta testing. As we all know, beta stands for Barely Executing
Temporary Application but it gives developers a chance to get feedback and
discover problems that will only occur when an application experiences a heavy
use. There is a good chance that Google could have avoided some of the
flak they are currently taking for the “bugginess” of Buzz if they had
opted to make a beta release.
By intentionally excluding certain social websites, most
notably Facebook, Google is sending a message as to their intent
with Buzz. Whether it is be intentional or not, most see this product as
serving notice to Facebook that Google intends to be on the playground.
If it was Google’s intent to cause a stir and get some press then they
have most definitely succeeded. Like the old adage says, any press is good
press.
Buzz does have some good things working for it,
though. The features that it does have are great for the social web beginner. You
are not overwhelmed with a million different options and settings. For the most
part, features are intuitive and work well with Gmail. It’s easy to post and
follow other people’s posts, which is essentially the core of the social web.
About the Buzz on Google Buzz
The topics of discussion on Google Buzz are quite
wide ranging but most focus on three topics:
Google Buzz vs. Facebook – As
I discussed above, the fact that Facebook integration is curiously
absent on Google Buzz has probably caused more discussion than anything
else. Will Google Buzz be the newer better thing that causes Facebook’s
numbers to dwindle much like what happened to MySpace? Probably not, especially
with its current feature set. Although, Google now has plenty of
commentary to mull over before deciding how Google Buzz will expand and
blend in to the social web landscape.
Where are the features? – Google
Buzz is a good basic opener on to the social web scene but lacks some
features that social web junkies really crave. That being said, you can bet
that Google is taking all the criticism in and will begin releasing new
features before you know it.
Will Google Buzz survive? – Not
everything Google is wildly successful. Take Google Wave for
example. While an intriguing concept, Google Wave did not
take off like Google hoped. Does this mean that Google Buzz is
destined to obscurity as well? Should Google just stay out of the social
networking scene? Although Google could have most definitely benefited
by a beta release and more robust features, Buzz is by no means dead
yet. Expect to see additions to Buzz over the next several months.
Conclusion
Since Google Buzz popped on to the scene it has been
getting exactly what its name states, a great deal of buzz. Whether you love it
or hate it Google Buzz is likely to be around for a while. You will have
to stay tuned to see if future releases of Buzz are enough to sway the
social networking populace over to Google. If you want to try out Google
Buzz for yourself you can find out more at buzz.google.com.
