reality BYTES: Google Buzz
By Adrian Weckler
Strengths
1. There are over 170 million Gmail users.
Each one will be gently pushed into using the service.
New messages (Google wants us to call them ‘buzzes’) will appear in one’s e-mail inbox, just like a normal e-mail. With no extra set-up, it will be easy to ‘join’, especially for the majority of web users that have not yet succumbed to social networking services.
This demographic includes older people still settling into internet use and who are still intimidated by the thought of opening multiple web accounts.
Gmail’s long-term growth also looks positive. While it is still number three (behind Hotmail and Yahoo!) in web-mail popularity, it is growing faster than its rivals.
2. It incorporates popular services that people already use, such as Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. Those services are only Google’s starting point. It is very easy to see other services, such a s LinkedIn, Bebo and MySpace eventually agreeing to content-sharing agreements. Even Facebook might some day come under pressure to allow its updates to be incorporated into Buzz.
To agree to this today would clearly be folly for Facebook, but if Buzz takes off, it may soon face serious pressure.
Weaknesses
1.Google’s mixed record of introducing new services.
Google has a weak track record in social networking.
Its recent launch of GoogleWave caused huge hype, but to date use of it has been very modest. It is persevering with a social networking service called Orkut, which virtually nobody uses (and which even Google isn’t promoting as a ‘cool’ service to import into Buzz updates).
2. It feels like a ‘me too’ service. Both Facebook and Twitter have stormed into people’s lives because they have introduced (or substantially advanced) a new take on something that was not there before.
Google Buzz does neither. In fact, its only unique point is that it is integrated with an e-mail service. While this might be attractive to those who dislike multiple internet accounts, it may not be enough to wrench someone from an established, mature Facebook account.
3. It fails an instant gratification test. When Buzz is first enabled in a Gmail account, it asks a few questions about what you would like to see in your Buzz feed. And then nothing happens.
It’s not obvious where to go to join in a discussion or even simply to start following people. It will need a lot of tweaking to become as compelling as either Facebook or Twitter.
4.User experience so far.
To date, the reaction to Buzz is reminiscent of feedback to GoogleWave. First, there was hype. Then came the viral chatter, then, early adopter reports.
This was followed by a trailing-off of interest, with little evidence that the service has made any significant impact on early adopters’ web habits. This is bad news for Buzz.
