Social Networking Luddite seeking advice on social networking

Darren Dirt · February 10, 2010, 09:48:41 AM

So is Google Buzz worth checking out? I never got around to registering in Facester and FriendBook and Twitterface and whatnot, has anyone taken the time to see if the Buzz is just as good or better? Is it a competitor, or more like an integrator in a similar way as Google Chat, i.e. will me using Buzz give someone like me the same access to info that is presently off limits to me since I don't have FB etc. accounts...

...based on a few reviews, uhhhh, maybe I'll just wait...
http://www.pcworld.com/article/188998/the_buzz_about_google_buzz.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/188930/cut_in_line_for_google_buzz.html

Darren Dirt · February 10, 2010, 01:07:04 PM

wow, why the hating:
Google over-promises and under-delivers with Buzz

http://www.pcworld.com/article/189005/google_buzz_ten_pressing_questions.html
( with link to YT vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi50KlsCBio )

Lazybones · February 10, 2010, 02:47:39 PM

Saw it appear on my google search screen on my phone the other night.. Then this morning I started getting Gmail notifications as it automatically integrates with Gmail.. So I turned it off.

Thorin · February 10, 2010, 03:05:25 PM

Yeah, I swacked that "turn off buzz" link right away in Gmail. I'm a little miffed that they crammed it down our throats with a hard-to-find opt-out instead of an easy-to-find opt-in.

Honestly, I don't want to automatically start following people or have people automatically start following me.

That being said, Buzz is more like FriendFeed. Now, I haven't used FriendFeed yet, but from what I've read it's easy and simple to use. And FriendFeed doesn't automatically scan my contacts list and start telling people what I've been doing...

Tom · February 10, 2010, 06:45:57 PM

I haven't noticed any google buzz stuff in my mail.

Melbosa · February 10, 2010, 09:22:31 PM

I can't complain... Its free email... and well from a guy who has a couple free email accounts, this one is by far the lowest with those types of things. And its a free search engine. No surprise that they are trying to promote their stuffs...

Lazybones · February 10, 2010, 10:10:16 PM

Quote from: Tom on February 10, 2010, 06:45:57 PM
I haven't noticed any google buzz stuff in my mail.

if you also use google reader and have follower it auto links them. Then their posts show in your buzz feed. That is how I found out.

Tom · February 11, 2010, 07:30:29 AM

Yeah, I don't use reader, or even gmail really. Since I found out it didn't really support POP3 properly (mailing list wise), I only keep it around because some people might still use that address, and I don't know who to notify.

CowGirl · February 11, 2010, 11:33:15 AM

I haven't seen anything either. First and only time I had heard about this was through my source, Thorin.

Thorin · February 11, 2010, 06:24:44 PM

For me, I noticed when I went to Google Mail and it redirected me to a page all about Buzz first, with a GREAT BIG TRY BUZZ button and a small little ignore this, continue to inbox link.

Mr. Analog · February 14, 2010, 12:47:19 PM

I really didn't appreciate the:
-Full screen advert
-The fact that it's turned "on" by default

Quit being evil Google!

Darren Dirt · February 17, 2010, 09:00:25 AM

Bigcorp Blasted for Buzz Blunder

Thorin · February 17, 2010, 09:35:57 AM

Thanks for that article, Darren, it pretty much sums up what I think about Buzz - having something automatically tell everyone on my contact list what I'm doing is not something I want.

Darren Dirt · February 17, 2010, 12:29:50 PM

Quote from: Thorin on February 17, 2010, 09:35:57 AM
Thanks for that article, Darren, it pretty much sums up what I think about Buzz - having something automatically tell everyone on my contact list what I'm doing is not something I want.

Sounds like Google has at least been extremely quick in "fixing" their over-enthusastic functionality:
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/millions-of-buzz-users-and-improvements.html
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-buzz-start-up-experience-based-on.html

I guess they really did need to do more testing in the "real world", but this also helps other megacorps know how fast they will get useful feedback from a mass release of a product

Thorin · February 17, 2010, 01:52:40 PM

Quote from: Darren Dirt on February 17, 2010, 12:29:50 PM
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-buzz-start-up-experience-based-on.html

Quote
starting this week, instead of an auto-follow model in which Buzz automatically sets you up to follow the people you email and chat with most, we're moving to an auto-suggest model

They shoulda done that from the start, they'd've had way less backlash.