Guest Post By Kim Randall
So Google finally decided to join the world of Social Networking and Micro-blogging last week by launching the newest addition to the Google Family.
Google Buzz is (in my opinion) interesting, noisy and almost pointless for the everyday individual trying to find and read good content from trusted sources. I find it to be a hassle to scroll through hundreds of comments on a Mashable “Buzz” post and to be honest I have actually stopped trying. I can easily head over to Mashable’s Facebook Fan Page, see what they are talking about and CHOOSE to read and scroll through their hundreds of comments or quickly and efficiently move on to the next person that posted an update. Now there is the option for muting a particular “Buzz” post, but I do have a job and I do not have time to spend muting everyone’s “Buzzes” as they come in.
So here is my Pro’s and Con’s list on Google Buzz
Cons
- There’s already Yahoo Buzz – Not quite the exact same concept, but seriously Google, you couldn’t choose a name that wasn’t being used? (and yes, Yahoo Buzz is also a platform for sharing content)
- Buzz seems to have already been created by….oh I don’t know, FriendFeed, Facebook and Twitter.
- You can’t moderate what other people post on YOUR Buzz – If you want to leave a nasty comment on a post I made it doesn’t appear that I can remove it. My choices are to either keep it there or delete the entire post I made. FAIL!
- Buzz only adds to my email clutter and I honestly get enough junk without the help of Google
- There is no way to group individuals for a better “Buzz” experience.
- The layout is too noisy and could become overwhelming for many, especially those that do not frequent on Social Platforms.
- My clients hire me to handle their Social Media so I don’t see many of them actually taking part, understanding or honestly even caring how Google Buzz could possibly enhance their Brand visibility or Social Media Campaign.
- Interface is boring and there is the Google Wave feel to it. I still have 17 invites for anyone that needs one (email me at Kim[at]kimrandall[dot]biz if you would like one)
- Did I mention that this concept has already been done?
Pros
- It’s a great place for the Chris Brogan’s, Gary Vaynerchuk’s and Mashable’s of the web to post their content. (Con – This may mean that your Buzz posts are getting lost within the comments and the noise)
- You do not have to log into a new site to access Buzz
- Buzz can pull your FlickR, Blogspot, Picasa, YouTube, Google Reader and Twitter feeds. (Not that this feature matters TOO much)
In conclusion, my only thoughts are the following…Did Google really have to try and reinvent the wheel?
I would love to hear your thoughts on Google Buzz too so please leave a comment and let us know if you are for or against or just don’t really care at all about Google Buzz.
This post was written by Kim Randall, Social Media Strategist.
You can follow Kim on Twitter, friend her up on Facebook or simply drop by her Social Media Blog and/or Website
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post Kim – the biggest con is and remains until they fix….Even I am in”lackofsecurity” about finding out what all the buzz/excitement is about – and you know I usually jump first
From @iKrissi Not only does Buzz show where I live, but it pinpoints my location to the exact room in my HOUSE. SCARY!!
From @CathyBrooks @sacca Don’t disagree w/point about iterating quickly, but privacy/security can be dangerous. Did you see this? http://bit.ly/cfEYIL
I totally agree on the safety aspect of it all as well Cate. I know that they have been working on that and/or have corrected it (should have been tested before launching. Shame on Google)
.-= Kim Randall´s last blog ..Have You Found Love Through Social Media? =-.
I can’t help but feeling that sometimes Google tries to catch on to these sorts of things a little too late – First there was the release of Chrome that, whilst has it’s benefits, is way behind the times thanks to firefox and now there is buzz!
I think I will personally be ignoring it!
All the best!
I’m not a fan yet. Seems like Friendfeed all over again, and I wasn’t down with that. We’ll see.
.-= Chris Brogan…´s last blog ..Is Engagement More Important =-.
must be buzzed, because its the need of the market
.-= Self Storage Las Vegas´s last blog ..Self Storage Packing Tips =-.
Great post Kim,
hope that Google will work on Con’s and us reason for more Pro’s in the future. Big “G” is everywhere around us, sometimes that’s good for us and sometimes probably not so good.
Tomorrow is a new day…
Regards,
John
I’m not a huge fan of a lot of the social buzz sites, but I agree that Yahoo Buzz is a whole heck of a lot better than what Google rolled out so far.
.-= Master Dayton@Master Dayton Writing Blog´s last blog ..Entry Level Writers: Don’t Get Discouraged =-.
I have had Buzz switched on for over a week but have barely used it – I linked it to Twitter and Flickr and left it to it. Nobody I know seems to use it.
.-= Cara@Front Door Blog´s last blog ..Front Doors for Homes =-.
This seems too late already… but well might be useful in the near future… for me right now, though i turned it on… no one had buzzed yet… so ill need to stick with my existing social media networks for now… ^__^
I am completely unimpressed with Google buzz. In fact I think it is the worst product they have ever launched and it annoys me that it is hooked directly into gmail. The more i think about Google buzz and read other peoples posts and complaints about the product the more I feel as though the only people it benefits are those who are directly affiliated with Google. Like stock holders, board members and employees.
There is no way I can see how adding this social media piece to an email account is a benefit to the end user. I think it was connected to gmail strictly as a method to propel Google into the lime light as a major player in social media since so far their attempts of purchasing companies has flopped.
.-= James Wheelock@Houston Homes For Sale´s last blog ..Did Green Home Enthusiasts Miss Purpose Of Movement? =-.
I really didn’t like seeing information flow without realizing it was going places… and the lack of usability as far as seeing what’s new and what isn’t is maddening. I don’t like following people on accident. Worst of all, I don’t like that I’m losing replies to my blog because someone chose to reply to my blog in Buzz. Great… now I have another place to monitor for interactions?
I hates teh buzz.
.-= Gomez@Windshield Repair´s last blog ..Ask TeleGlass: Repairing a five inch crack? =-.
I agree with two remarks of yours about Google Buzz that it is interesting and noisy but don’t think it is pointless. And I also think that at this point of time it may not do full justice to Google’s attempt to make a mark in the online social network media by rejecting it totally knowing very well that it resembles many popular networking sites out there in the web media.
As the report at http://solsie.com/2010/02/google-buzz-issues-new-tweaks/ suggests, Google Buzz has already addressed some security issues from users worldwide and made some tweaks wherever it was required. Now let’s wait and see how it reacts to the overall criticisms, remarks and reactions from the online community and hopefully do whatever is necessary for making Buzz a good networking experience for us.
So far, in my opinion, Google Buzz is not really catching on. My friends are really not using the feature and a new social media outlet just does not feel necessary.
People will jump on it, people will love it. And why? Not because maybe it’s better or it’s new…No…because it’s GOOGLE Buzz and people just love and trust Google.
I tried Google’s latest innovation the “Buzz” as they all say. For me it’s pretty fine and I am enjoying the tweaks they made.
.-= Jeff´s last blog ..Digital Camera Guide =-.
I was not too excited about Google Buzz but nor am I quitting it yet.
In my opinion, there will always be comparisons but each application will work according to its capabilities. I’m still excited to find out how to make full use of it, but I agree, it’s advisable to improve some security concerns for long term sake. Well thought out pros/cons, Kim.
@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
.-= Ching Ya@Social Media Blogging´s last blog ..Art Of Communicating in Social Networks =-.
Although Google Buzz is working well, I’m still not getting the idea as to why they have to name it in very common way. So if there’s Yahoo Buzz, there should be Google Buzz. I mean, com’on, right?! Is there no other name for that?
I think for now it is really too early for us to tell how Google Buzz can become a significant addition in the social media scene. Right now it may look pointless and unnecessary but knowing the guys from Google, well, let us just expect for something amazing and beneficial to us.
Nobody I know uses Buzz so I’m reluctant to start. I already have a Facebook, so I can’t really see me or anyone else I know using it. I’m fairly sure that many of my friends haven’t even heard of Buzz. I think that Google, for all its innovations jumped on this social bandwagon a little too late…
- Daniel
I’m still excited to find out how to make full use of it, but I agree, it’s advisable to improve some security concerns for long term sake.
I was not impressed with Google Buzz either! I have to admit that you gave it a bigger chance than I ever did. If it was not for the power of Google to market it, Buzz would never even gotten off the ground.
I can’t believe yahoo buzz existed before google buzz, seems like they stole that idea…
i think the “buzz” could be better, but i think it will grow into a powerhouse just like every other google tool.
There is a very small chance I might have looked into this a year from now if it really caught on and all my friends started using it. That isn’t going to happen though. Just keeping up with FB and Twitter are already to time consuming. Most normal people have no desire to get into yet another social network unless it offers some real value that is somehow unique.
That fact that it is tied directly into gmail is a huge turn off too. We already have enough junk to deal with there, and most people don’t want or need their email to be more convoluted. I didn’t even give it a chance. I am pretty unimpressed with google over the past couple years, they have done so many things that don’t serve any purpose but to make my life more difficult. Granted they have done much to make my life easier in the past, but now they seem bent on undoing all of that. I feel like they are working against the interests of 90% of the web now days, and most of what they do can be seen to benefit only the remaining 10% which consist only of the biggest players with the most money. Personally, I think that if they continue down this path they will be digging their own grave.
I think it is high time for a truly open source search engine which uses a peer to peer model for data processing. We don’t really need profit driven enterprises to filter our search results or provide our social networking needs anymore. We don’t need their data centers either, because all our computers are networked and we can leverage that to process far more data.
I am going to go throw some ideas at the folks behind Eye OS now.
I can’t believe you can’t edit the comments on your own Buzz. This is a massive flaw that will keep me away from Buzz for the foreseeable future.
.-= Andrew@Best Casino Bonus Online´s last blog ..Best Rated Online Casino – Ladbrokes! =-.
What’s with the Google Buzz thing? I understand the concept but never understood its importance. What is it for?
.-= Arnel@hyip´s last blog ..NanoMoneyCorp Joins The First Online Nano-Globe Conference & Exhibition & GoldNuggetInvest Solving Yesilada Bank Issue plus Important Updates =-.
Out of interest, what’s the sidebar social media widget you’re using? I really like the way it floats in the same position as you scroll down. Is it for WordPress only?
.-= BoA music fan´s last blog ..BoA – Identity (Japanese album) =-.
Frankly, this was a rather desperate attempt by Google to get into the ‘social scene’. Orkut is doing miserably almost everywhere (except Brazil
). They desperately need to do something that was ‘social’ and gives them some advantage in ‘real-time search’. Two fields where they have not been able to make a dent so far. I thought ‘profiles’ was an attempt to make a social network, but I was wrong then 
.-= Todd@watch nhl live online´s last blog ..Sign Up =-.
Google is late to the party on this one. But like anything else Google does, they can muscle their way into a niche that is already saturated and dominate.
I really think the main weakness of google buzz is that we can not sort or moderate the comments posted to our account. This makes my account looks a rather messy. I hope Google will release a better version of this so called ‘Buzz’.
I think a correct step by google
I think it is high time for a truly open source search engine which uses a peer to peer model for data processing. We don’t really need profit driven enterprises to filter our search results or provide our social networking needs anymore.
I think Google buzz is a great step from them. Adoption for their fabulous product ‘wave’ was less than spectacular, so this is probably the right step. They made a great combination of email and ‘friendfeed’
Most people are already using a gmail account, and they don’t have to keep another window open to read about their friend’s updates. Buzz is definitely a bad name selection because Yahoo was already using it for their social media site.
.-= Chris@Traffic Ultimatum´s last blog ..Traffic Ultimatum – More Traffic = More Money =-.
In my opinion, there will always be comparisons but each application will work according to its capabilities. I’m still excited to find out how to make full use of it, but I agree, it’s advisable to improve some security concerns for long term sake.
.-= LISA TORRES´s last blog ..2 Groups Of People You Should Network With! =-.
Google actually attempts to reach every avenue all the time.
Their search engine is still the best anywhere. However, I agree totally with you that we don’t need Google buzz. It’s an attempt to copy the formats of other more sophisticated sites, and is nowhere near as useful.
Google needs to stay doing what they do best.
Dr. Ann
You have some honest ideas here. It looks like you have done a research on the issue and discovered.Anyway thanks a lot.I think most peoples will agree with your blog.Keep it up.
I have to say I think Buzz is awful. I have it simply as another channel to get information about my articles and Blog posts out.
The main mistakes I believe they made were
- Not making it a separate site
- Allowing unlimited Buzzes some are pages long!
- The worst user interface ever designed in history
- The automatic threading of comments makes it a mess to wade through
Finally did we actually need another Twitter? People say well it started with X million people – well yes it did only because so many people use Gmail. It’s not like that many people made a conscious effort to join.
Buzz is fast becoming an irritant for me.
Love the post title.
Totally agree, it’s just more noise that I could do without. I turned it off. And my first thought was that they were trying to ride on Yahoo’s coat tails.
I like google buzz as it is the best social networking platform where you can come to know about different people belongs to your community and others. It is really a very good combination where you can put your latest buzz and can able to make mails.
i love google’s motto: Don’t be evil
To me Google buzz looks interesting as its a new way to share updates, photos, videos and more…
Not only is Buzz too little, too late it’s also been done already. Sure, by allowing all Gmail users access on the launch day Google potentially added 176,000,000 users but how many users do Facebook and MySpace have? A lot more. I think Google has woken up to the face that Facebook alone is more trafficked than the mighty G’s empire. And now FB is looking set to become THE platform for advertising. Interesting times ahead.
Google Buzz, IMO is just another fad that will quickly die out. Not my cup of tea.
As you mentioned it has been overused, it seems strange that Google wouldn’t spend a little time thinking of something more original.
To me the term Buzz can have negative connotations – it brings to mind idle chatter and gossip rather than genuine insight or originality. Also I just don’t want a service like this intertwined with my email account!
.-= Simon H. Grant´s last blog ..PM Pledges to Provide Fast Broadband for all by 2020 =-.
Too much information overload if you ask me. I have no interest being that connected either.
Google Buzz seems to be a desperate attempt by Google Inc to join the updates and feed sharing bandwagon. Well these days it is better to be with the “others” and provide what everyone is than being the lone warrior on the battlefield. Buzz would be successful if the content is fresh and appealing. And it may also click when people start getting bored with their tweets and facebook updates. Anyways, let us hope it is another masterpiece from the Google factory.
Google is still the #1 search engine site. People will still get hooked on it.