So I Just Got Google Buzz – I Don’t Think It Will Replace Facebook
So the day before its launch was the the first time I heard about Google new product Google Buzz. I heard from various sites that it will replace Facebook because 1, it is from Google, and 2, it integrates all of Google sites together. But I have to say, I totally disagree that it will replace Facebook.
For starters all I have figured out how to do is post status updates. There is nothing else to it. Not only that, I think it is a bit on the spammy side of things. I don’t want my Gmail inbox that I use everyday for work and business to be filled up with my friends Buzz updates. Is there a way to stop that? Probably, but I haven’t worked it out yet. And I am sure my friends don’t what their Gmail inbox full of status updates too. And if you use POP for example, you can’t reply directly to the update – the message will appear just like an email.
And why would I want to stop using Facebook for? It has everything a social networking website has. And better yet, all my 150+ friends don’t get direct access to my email address unless I post it up there. But with Google Buzz– all your friends will get your email address – and I just don’t want that.
I think Google’s idea to incorporate it into Gmail was a bad idea – you should have made a completely new site that is away from my inbox. That way it lets you start from scratch, and it keeps my emails away from my social life. It would also allow you expand to include other apps without flooding the Gmail interface.
So what are your thoughts about Google Buzz? Like it, hate it? Will you use it? Do you agree with me?
The thing that irked me most about Buzz is that there is no settings page or a tab in Gmail’s settings page for Buzz. The only way to customize your profile is using Google Profle that to very minimally.
Secondly, there is no help by Google apart from single introductory video. I think when they are launching a completely new service, atleast enough troubleshooting information should be made available. Right now its only guesswork and chaos.
I totally agree with you. They don’t even give you instructions on how to disable it, and I couldn’t find anything in the settings to change it in anyway.
There are also been reports that contact lists have also gone out to the public when they are not meant to. This is worse than Facebook’s privacy changes which I didn’t like very much.
http://www.jackcola.org/blog/46-facebook-new-privacy-options-suck-your-privacy-is-now-gone
No planning has gone into this launch – I think Gmail should go back to beta stage.
Of course Buzz won’t replace Facebook. Two different purposes.
See http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2010/02/11/matrix-buzz-vs-facebook-vs-myspace-vs-twitter-feb-2009/ for a clearer explanation that few are rationalizing.
Outside of this article being a super duper lame attempt at getting more traffic to this site, it really is, well, wrong. We’ll see in a year if Google Buzz has failed (which I bet it won’t). Its cleaner than Facebook, and more open than Twitter. Sure it needs improvements. Since its only been out less than a week (as of this reply), i’m pretty confident in saying its doing quite well.
Facebook is a mess. When I log in, all I see are these really retarded games and pillows and drinks and gifts and other nonsense all over my front page. Its so ridiculous that I don’t hardly EVER log into facebook. If I do, its maybe once or twice a month.
And sorry, I don’t buy the whole “well, facebook is for people that want to look at other people’s pics” bullcrap. Thats the most stalkerish crap i’ve ever heard!
If facebook had a feature that allowed a user to see who looked at his or her profile and pics, facebook would disappear overnight.
I applaud Google for what they are doing.
Frank, maybe you should read my other article http://www.jackcola.org/blog/68-do-people-at-business-insider-really-think-buzz-will-be-better-than-facebook
First of all, this Blog is to express my views, not to gain traffic.
Buzz may be clean, but it certainly has a lot of wasted space. I have 9 items on Buzz, and the scroll bar is about 40% of the height of my webbroswer. Compare that to Facebook, I can read 8 and I don’t even have to scroll. So for one, the design is terrible.
Second, you know in Facebook you can click on the hide button to hide all the farmvile and games things that your friends do. You get options to block those applications from appearing in your wall.
Who said Facebook is only to look at peoples pics? I never said that. All I have said (in the past) that after the new Facebook privacy changes, you can see more of peoples pics because they have it set to Friends Of Friends, not Just Friends like it used to be.
I agree with your point, that Facebook will disappear if it shows you who’s looking at your profile. But saying that, Online Dating sites do that, and it hasn’t worried them. But this is completely different.
Don’t get me wrong, Google has done some very good stuff and it helped the world in too many ways we couldn’t list them all. But I just don’t think they put as much thought into Buzz as they did with their other products. Look at Gmail for example. How long did it take for them to remove the BETA label?
Remember to come back in a year, and we will see what Buzz has become (if it survives)