From Google Earth and Gmail to GOOG-411 and Nexus One it is clear that its wide range of products and service offerings have molded Google into one of the most dominant companies on the Web. As if Google wasn’t already a huge threat, it developed Google Buzz. As you’ve probably heard, or experienced, Google’s new development aims to combine the best features of different social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Picasa and YouTube, sending many of those sites scrambling to re-examine their features to make sure Google Buzz does not become a monopoly in the social media space next.
So, what supposedly makes Google Buzz more appealing than Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites? Well, according to an article in Channelweb, the top reasons are that Google Buzz:
- Integrates with Gmail
- Drowns out the noise
- Cuts out the hunting and pecking
- Works well with cell phones
Ok, so do you want to know what this really means? To start, Gmail users will now have access to all of their status updates, photos, new comments and other content mixed in with their email. Cool? Not so much. Do we social networking fanatics really want ALL of our updates mixed in with email? I think this will make emailing and social networking more of a hassle.
Google claims Buzz will “drown out the noise,” by using algorithms and history to sift through unwanted status updates or photo uploads based on a user’s previous activity. Yes, I do not want to know what Friend A is doing every second of the day, but that doesn’t mean that I never want to know what he’s up to. Google Buzz also has an “auto-follow” feature where all of your previous Gmail contacts can automatically connect with you. Imagine all of the people that you email: your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, coworkers and children. Is this option really preferable? Well, if you are a fan of Google Buzz so far, AND if you are an Apple or Android user—don’t worry. Google has developed mobile applications for the iPhone and Google Android. Google is also developing an enterprise plan for Buzz.
Yes, Google Buzz compiles email and social networking content all into one program, but should this really make Facebook and Twitter that worried? I would rather keep social networking separate from emailing. It is quite clear that Google can do it all, but is Buzz really going to attract current Facebook and Twitter users?
Jenaleigh Landers is an intern with Griffin York & Krause. She is currently a full-time Business Major at Saint Anselm College.
