Google Buzz Is A Twitter Killer? Don’t Make Me Laugh
I’ve finally been granted access to Google Buzz today, and after playing around with it for an hour or so, I have to say I really don’t like it. It’s not all bad, but it’s bad enough that unless Google makes some significant changes I’m fairly sure I’ll be removing it in the near future.
The Good
- It looks a lot like Friendfeed. I’m very familiar with Friendfeed. This is comforting.
- You can edit your updates. This is always welcome.
- The comment system, again like Friendfeed, is nice.
- Er…
- That’s it.
The Bad
- When you first activate Buzz, it auto-follows people on your behalf, based on those you most email and chat with. The problem is it then proudly displays this information on your public Google profile. The privacy and security implications here are huge. How many times do we have to say it? Opt-out is a fail. Couldn’t Google have just said, “Hey, you know these people. Do you want to follow them?”
- Buzz allows you to connect other sites to your feed. That’s fine, but not for me. So I didn’t connect anything. The problem is, it doesn’t then allow you to opt out of seeing these same connections from everybody else. So I’m forced to see huge updates from other folk’s Google Reader favourites, and that kind of thing, often in blocks of multiples. I hate that. On Twitter or Facebook, if I’m not interested in content, I simply do not click on the link. On Buzz, I have no choice. It’s there, right in front of me, getting in the way of everything else that I do want to read.
- As an example, Darren Rowse is a great guy, but who wants to see this as one update in a feed? To stop this, I would need to unfollow Darren. What sort of option is that?
- Seeing Buzz updates in your inbox is really, really annoying. Luckily, you can easily filter this out. But why make it the default? Again, opt-in, not opt-out.
- It’s really, really slow.
- Seeing the exact same updates from my Twitter and Facebook friends on Buzz blows. That’s not Google’s fault per se, but it’s another reason why I don’t need to look in there.
- To get people to connect with me, I really need to push them towards my Google profile, which is http://www.google.com/profiles/sheabennett. At 42 characters, that’s both ugly and ridiculously long.
- I have no control over my username. Because Buzz functions completely off of your Google profile, I have to be Shea Bennett. That’s fine – I am Shea Bennett – but if would have been nice if I could have been Sheamus. And yes, I could set up a new email and start a new Google profile, but who is going to bother to do that? (Oh right – anonymous.)
- Each time a given Buzz gets a new comment, it moves to the top of your feed. If you’re following a high-profile user, or a group of them, that’s pretty much all you’re going to see. I’ve had Robert Scoble at the top of my page for half an hour now. I like Scoble, but not that much. Good luck keeping up with your friends who Buzz on a very occasional basis.
- The Find People feature works quite well, but the only option you get when looking for somebody is to add them. You can’t preview their Buzz feed, at least not conveniently. You have to open up a new tab and visit their Google profile. Real handy.
This is also the first time I’ve noticed how few of my friends actually use Gmail. I love Gmail, and recommend it to everybody, but people are often quite set in their ways, and prefer to stay with Hotmail or Yahoo, irrespective of the lack of features. Looking at my address book, I’m guessing probably less than 20% of my friends have a Gmail address, or even a Google account, for that matter. Yeah, it’s mad, but it also means Buzz is already limiting my network.
I’m also slightly concerned at the impact Buzz is going to make on Gmail itself. The world already seems to shut down when Gmail falls over, and I’d hate to think that all the huge drain that Buzz is making on the Gmail servers is going to increase those periods of downtime.
My gut feeling? Unless they make some major changes and improvements to Buzz, and soon, and that includes addressing those privacy issues, it’s never going to be a threat to Twitter or Facebook. It’s just another aggregator. And a bad one, at that.
Google’s been really sloppy of late, and Buzz is no exception. It’s disappointing, and unfortunately all too familiar. Indeed, it already feels like the new Google Wave. And we know how well the masses embraced that.
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I use gmail, but download it to Outlook Express. Rarely am I in the web interface. I have zero motivation to try Buzz.
Talking about bad usability? Look at these comments down here! How many comments, real comments do you see? And yet you use it.
Sorry, Jablan, you've lot me. What comments? Do you mean the reactions below?
New things are always worth a look but Buzz simply won't take off in the way Google would have hoped unless some major ramifications are made. Of course, many of the early adopters/tech gurus are all over it, but there's nothing new there.
I did try Wave for a while. That was fun. For a couple of days. :-/
Yeah. Amazing how those Wave invites went from being sought after on eBay to impossible to give away in just a couple of months. I really don't think people want complexity in any shape or form. And Wave, and Buzz, are complicated for the non-technical. Much like Friendfeed was before it. Difference was Friendfeed was really good. But they never came out with the lite version that might have tipped them over the edge. Not that it really matters now after the Facebook buyout.
One of the problems with Wave was that it required constant checking to receive notification (unless you left it running, I suppose). What it needed was some form of e-mail notification system. But, I suppose, since it was intended to replace e-mail, they didn't want that. Or didn't think of it.
Buzz seems to be in a no-win situation. If they integrate it into gmail, as they have, then it makes gmail needlessly complex. But if they separate it out, then the question is, “Why do we need another twitter?”
Maybe Google should just be content with owning 90% of the online world.
My concern is that Gmail is my private email address and I like to keep it private. Why would I want to expose myself by building a following based on my real email address and invite the inevitable abuse? Twitter gives me the advantage of open conversation with anyone and everyone – without compromising my privacy. For the record, I don't follow willy-nilly on facebook, either, it's just family, friends and a very few choice twitteriffics (like you).
And I appreciate that.
And you're absolutely right, Sherry – this means having to invite people into the often very private world of our email. A follow on Twitter isn't a big deal at all. You expose nothing of yourself, as people you don't follow can still read your tweets. But a connection on Buzz raises several privacy issues, some of which I hinted on in my piece. It's worth reading that Silicon Alley article for more detail.
I really like the fact that it is integrated into Gmail and that I don't have to go to another site. for me, Buzz has the potential to be a Friendfeed replacement. Largely because I never “got” Friendfeed. I love the Google Reader integration and the fact that you can create groups. I hate the Twitter integration.
Here's s slightly more elaborate post on what I think is good and what is bad about Buzz:
http://sm4good.com/2010/02/10/google-buzz-frien...
I don't see Buzz as a Twitter killer…it's more like a “FriendFeed” killer. FriendFeed has never really skyrocketed like Facebook and Twitter, so if Google plays it's cards right, then I can see it replacing FriendFeed as a content aggregator because email is a common place that almost everyone checks.
I see a certain segment of folks who's main communication is email instead of Facebook and Twitter really digging on Buzz because you can get your updates and news in one place (well, not Facebook…at least not yet). I have a Gmail account, but it's mostly a throwaway account that I use to sign up for mailing lists and social networks and the like…my personal and business emails goes through my own domains…so the privacy issue doesn't quite bother me.
Unfortunately, Friendfeed doesn't need to be killed as it's already on its last legs. Which is a bit of a shame, as it was easily the best aggregator, and completely and utterly dwarfs Google Buzz in what it did.
Here's the thing: Facebook, and Twitter to a lesser extent, are increasingly attracting the non-technical. In fact, I'd say the majority of Facebook now are people who wouldn't describe themselves as technically-minded. All the people I know so far who are non-technical have decided to immediately opt out of Buzz. Several have contacted me to ask what it is, and upon hearing an explanation, how do get out of it. That doesn't bode well.
As I said, it's been picked up by early adopters and tech gurus but that's entirely normal. (I'm also a little suspicious about the level of praise being given by some of the bigger technical blogs.) Within Twitter and Facebook most people seem to be disinterested or negative. Much like they were about Wave, too.
Time will tell, of course, and if Google makes lots of changes and adds layers of bells and whistles it could really take off. If this is all it is, or even very close, then I think it's already sunk.
So you don't like buzz because it follows people automatically, and alternatively you don't like buzz because it's difficult to have somebody follow you? The URL is just a “profiles” longer than a twitter address, what would you prefer? It's new so hardly anyone has a button link to their profile yet.
So you don't like buzz because it follows people automatically, and alternatively you don't like buzz because it's difficult to have somebody follow you? The URL is just a “profiles” longer than a twitter address, what would you prefer? It's new so hardly anyone has a button link to their profile yet.
Surely those are two different things entirely? None of the other major social networks make you auto-follow anybody. Even Twitter's controversial suggested user list actually gave you the opportunity to untick the boxes.
As for the URL, that 'profiles' part is the key element, and one of the reasons why Facebook recently revamped their awful profile links in favour of vanity URLs. Something like google.com/username would be ideal, but if that's problematic, googlebuzz.com/username would be just as neat.
Newness isn't really an excuse. But I think you're on to something – it does seem to have been rushed out, without a lot of thought going into design and usability.
Sorry, I've mistaken reactions for comments. But, then again, I blame the usability for it…
Now seriously, most if not all items from your “bad” list are in fact bugs, which I expect to be fixed somewhere in the future, and not some inherent flaws. If Buzz eventually doesn't kill Twitter, it will be solely because Twitter got there first, by far.
All the people that I was already following I was actually already following anyway. I mean I was chatting with them, reading their shared items in google reader etc. So it didn't feel like I was forced to do something, it seemed logical. “Oh, I talk with them in chat all the time, so it makes sense that they are on my list.”
Also, you can mute a specific post. So if Scoble's responders are too noisy, mute that post (if you can't stand to unfollow the guy).
All the people that I was already following I was actually already following anyway. I mean I was chatting with them, reading their shared items in google reader etc. So it didn't feel like I was forced to do something, it seemed logical. “Oh, I talk with them in chat all the time, so it makes sense that they are on my list.”
Also, you can mute a specific post. So if Scoble's responders are too noisy, mute that post (if you can't stand to unfollow the guy).
I don't think Buzz will cause Gmail's servers to flatline just yet. They're basically dragging a feature from Reader over to Gmail (where there's undoubtedly a much larger user base) and adding a few extra bells and whistles.
I decided to remove Twitter from my Buzz stream. I figure that most people I know aren't going to be dropping their Twitter client any time soon, so I didn't want to stream redundant data they'd already seen elsewhere. For now, I'll use Buzz the same way I used Google Reader to share links and comment on them.
The biggest beef I currently have with Buzz is that you're forced to see comments from people you're not following (or have no intention of followed) if they reply to one of your follower's buzzes. The feature's probably there to encourage you to discover new people to follow, but I don't really need to see the 200+ comments that a Scoble or Gray buzz naturally attracts. (Incidentally I unfollowed both of them because they ended up dominating my stream.)
Yeah, I think if I want to use Buzz I'm going to be forced to do the same thing. Scoble says Google are working on this issue, which I hope is true. I quite like 'move to the top' in aggregators, but not at the expense of everybody else. Friendfeed's 'best of day' feature would be nice here, too.
I won't be using Google Buzz until they get the privacy issues ironed out, and probably not then either. Twitter and Facebook are fine. Anyone on my Google feed are already in my Twitter and FB feeds anyway.
Hy, Nicolette Tallmadge Iam of your mind. you are absolutely right
Thanks Shéa,
you're right, I too can not get worm with google buzz, it's too patronising.
I today have deleted all my google documents because google buzz gives me the feeling that I don't have the control over my google account anymore. How I know now what will get shared from google buzz and what not, one wrong adjustment and all the world will read my privat mails or can see every document that I have saved just for my privat use.
I know my concerns are maybe overstated, but anyway somehow I feel google doesn't really care enough in peoples privacy or lets better say I feel google does give a shit on peoples privacy
.
Best regards from Austria
Ortwin Oberhauser
http://www.oberhauser.at