Google Buzz — First Reactions 310
Google announced Buzz today, as we anticipated this morning. CNET has a workmanlike description of the social-networking service, which is integrated into gmail. CNET identifies a central obstacle Buzz will have to overcome to gain traction: "The problem, however, will be the increasing backlash Google is seeing from the general public over how much data the company already controls on their online habits." Buzz is being rolled out over the next few days so some people will see a Buzz folder in their gmail, but most won't yet (this Twitter post explains how Safari users can get an early glimpse). A blog posting up at O'Reilly Answers points out some of the distinguishing characteristics of Google Buzz — one interesting one being its ability to post an update either publicly or privately, at the user's option. This design choice places it between the public-by-default Twitter and the private-by-default Facebook. Lauren Weinstein sounds a note of caution about the inherent privacy risks of Google's method of filling out initial friend profiles by automatic friending.
Can't be worse than Yahoo's try at social media... (Score:3, Funny)
Yahoo tells me when anyone I ever knew in Yahoo-land makes a comment on any Yahoo-affiliated website...and conversely rats me out to them too.
When your sister-in-law gets notified about your post on "Who has the Biggest Flickr Rack"... you know web2.0 has problems.
facebook is over (Score:2, Funny)
They may as well accept defeat, they have no chance to survive with buzz in the market. The coolest people are already moving, and they will drag their friends, etc. Facebook probably has less than two years left to it at this point. Hope the founders got their money out.
Social Privacy ? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Can't be worse than Yahoo's try at social media (Score:3, Funny)
When your sister-in-law gets notified about your post on "Who has the Biggest Flickr Rack"... you know web2.0 has problems.
Some might argue your sister-in-law has a right to know you've singled her out for having a big rack. ;)
Re:Hmmm... (Score:3, Funny)
Screenshot (Score:1, Funny)
Wot? No Catch-22 characters in the screenshot!? Not-Taking-Self-Too-Seriously fail.
Re:Now's the Time (Score:4, Funny)
You should definitely ask Facebook for your money back.
Re:Yep, Facebook is turning into another Myspace (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Public vs private (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Backlash? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Public vs private (Score:5, Funny)
When will you be ditching your TV? [theonion.com]
Re:Not a threat for now... (Score:3, Funny)
I feel that Buzz is a sign that the Google Mail team is losing touch. Most people, myself included, use Google Mail for.....
Wow, you've queried other Gmail users? Please publish your findings!
Ironically, Google Buzz would be an ideal way to do that.
Re:Hmmm... (Score:5, Funny)
Well, I guess if you're going to use a social network, you might as well go with a company that has behaved fairly well compared to the others.
Facebook has shown itself to be a little too aggressive with peoples' data, going so far as to make it difficult to control your privacy settings.
It seems that the best we can do is trust a company until they have proven themselves untrustworthy. And, of course, it helps not to be stupid in the way you use these social networks.
If Google's social network does NOT have "games" and virtual hugs, I might take a look. Otherwise, I'd just rather be left alone than have a bunch of people I didn't much like from high school petitioning me to be their "friend", as if I'd ever forget the way they treated me way back then. Especially the cute redhead who decided that the greasy guido would be a better homecoming date than me, ended up getting pregnant before graduation and marrying him and now he's a fat loser and she's a middle-aged divorcee and suddenly remembers how much she always liked me. WELL, YOU BLEW YOUR CHANCE SWEETIE, BECAUSE NOW I'D BE MORE INTERESTED IN YOUR 19 YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER THAN YOUR FLABBY COUGAR ASS!!@
Excuse me, I got carried away there.
No, I don't think I'll try any more social networks.
The system goes on-line February 10th, 2010... (Score:3, Funny)
Human decisions are removed from strategic advertising. Google begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, February 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.
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