This past Tuesday Google released their anticipated new social media platform called "Google Buzz". Google Buzz takes the best from Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites and brings it directly to you, in your Gmail. You are able to receive Buzz updates in your inbox and then store them away like you would any other email. Having Google Buzz integrated into Gmail was a great plan on Google's part, this makes the learning curve almost non-existent, making it a lot easier to adapt to and use. Just like any kid with a new toy I sat down Tuesday night to get a feel for how Google Buzz works. Below you will find out what I thought was Good, Bad and the Unknown about Google Buzz: The Pro's of Google Buzz:
  • Built into Gmail like Gtalk
  • Page Rank for Status Updates, the more useful the post is, the more it will be seen
  • Media Gets Pulled In from as Flickr, Picasa, YouTube with more to come
  • Mobile Features for iPhone and Android
  • Private and Public posts
  • Threaded view so that I know what post I am responding to
  • Allows people to see your public posts on your Google Profile
  • Allows you to make Group contacts
  • Static URL's for all posts
  • Built in GPS feature to show where you made a post
  • Integrated into Google Maps
  • Simple Menu
    • Following (Shows comments from people you are following)
    • Nearby (Shows posts made by people nearby)
    • My Posts (Shows the posts that I have made)
    • How many people I am following (Shows the number of people I am following, as well as who they are)
    • How many people are following me (Shows the number of people who are following me as well as who they are)
    • Find People (Searches based on name or email address you search for, your contact information will show up first, then the global contact information)
  • Able to see Buzz posts near you
  • Actually makes Google Latitude useful
  • Integrates with Twitter
  • Easier direct messages then Twitter
The Con's of Google Buzz:
  • I already use Twiiter
  • I already have a Facebook Account
  • Being too "Open" allows for run-on sentences, too many photos etc. (This is something I dis-like about Facebook)
  • Unable to separate Google Buzz from Gmail, basically always on and in your face
The Unknows about Google Buzz:
  • If I block someone, do they know?
  • If I start to follow someone do they get a notified?
  • How does it integrates with Twitter
  • How do I backup and retrieve my Google Buzz Information?
Overall Opinion: Overall Google Buzz has a lot going for it, but at this time I don't know if it will replace Twitter for me. Note: I don't like Facebook so it can easily take the place of Facebook for me. Check out Google's Introductory video below: