Google Buzz buzzkill

My latest on the Computerworld Tool Talk blog:

It's easy to see why Google built Buzz. Google wants to compete with Twitter and Facebook. What's difficult to figure out is why people will want to use Google Buzz, when they can already use Twitter, Facebook, and a variety of other services to do the same thing. I hate to be a buzzkill, but I think Google Buzz will join the heap of failed Google services.

Google launched Buzz Tuesday as an add-on for Gmail. It's designed to allow users to share photos, videos, links, and status updates with their friends, as well as discuss shared content. It's very similar to the News Feed in Facebook in that regard. It's also similar to FriendFeed, a social sharing service acquired by Facebook last year with a small, but devoted following.

And that's Google Buzz's problem right there. It's similar to too many services already on the market. Google Buzz looks like a "me-too" product. I don't think Google Buzz will get much buzz.

Read the rest: Google Buzz buzzkill

Comments

[www.genjipress.com]

I tried it out and passed immediately. Its biggest problem is that it's an adjunct to Gmail, which I can't stand and almost never use anyway (unless for some reason mail from my main domain bounces back).

It's also arriving at a time when many people -- okay, I speak for myself here, but I think it's becoming prevalent -- are getting burned out with all this social-networking foofaraw. I don't need yet another timesink and productivity killer that adds no more connectivity than I already have in life.

[Mitch Wagner]

I wouldn't describe myself as burned out. I'd describe myself as sated. I use blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and Second Life. That's enough. Google Buzz doesn't provide any additional benefit not already filled by those platforms.

[Melina]

Thank you for tweeting the link that shows how to turn off Buzz, http://bit.ly/cXszb0. I was COMPLETELY freaked out until I found that.

With gratitude,

Melina
http://www.melinathinks.com