What is this thing called Google Buzz?

For many of you Gmail users out there, you will have seen a new facility offered to you over the last week called Google Buzz. I've been trying to get my head around where Buzz will 'fit' and I've already seen some good things and some bad.

Basically, Google Buzz allows you to share updates, photos, videos, and more to people who wish to follow you. You can therefore start conversations about the things you find interesting.

On the one hand it has some of the features and utility of Twitter + Facebook + Friendfeed and on the other it is somewhat intrusive and overwhelming. In communicating to the people that follow you (these will be other people who have Gmail accounts), you are not restricted by the 140 character limit that Twitter has. Your followers can then comment on your Buzz which you and your followers will see thereby initiating a conversation about the things you share.

The extent of comments can be very irritating such as on a typical Mashable post where there can be over 100 comments which leads to a great deal of 'noise' in your Buzz page.  One thing I will say about Google is that they have been responding to early negative comments about Buzz and making rapid changes to the Buzz functionality consistent with the negative feedback.

The management of comments and the issue of auto following within Buzz are early examples of this.

While it is too early to say, for those people that are using Buzz, it seems to be facilitating a great deal more user comment and feedback than other social services.  This maybe due to it's newness but it is a characteristic I will be monitoring going forward.

I don't have too much more to say at this stage but look forward to really seeing how it is going to fit within my own social media and networking strategy. I think it could be a keeper but I don't think it will replace services like Twitter and Facebook.

Mashable have also written extensively about Google Buzz over the last week including a great post below:

Google Buzz has completely changed the game:  Here's How

It is as it is.

GuruBob

 

Posted via web from GuruBob's Posterous Blog

iPhone App Of The Week: Facebook

I'm not sure that Facebook is one of my favorite sites, I do have a Facebook account but I would put it into the category of a necessary evil.

I just find the web interface so complex and irritating. Which is why I love the Facebook iPhone app so much. It is simple, clean, quite fast and easy to navigate and a lot of the web functions seems to be available from the app.

So if Facebook is your thing and you have an iPhone. Checkout the Facebook app. It's another free app and a must have if you spend any length of time in your Facebook account.

It is...as it is.

Guru Bob

Posted via web from GuruBob's Posterous Blog