I Drank The Google Kool-Aid but I’m Not Buzzed
I’m not sure why but I’m bothered by Buzz. I don’t like it, I don’t want it. But I have it. Sure I don’t have to use it. I think maybe it’s because for the first time, Google has forced a web tool on me. I’ve been using Gmail since 2004. If I love Gmail, and I do, I’m forced to have Buzz. I’m about 10 minutes away from re-installing MS Office so I can use Gmail as a relay for Outlook again. You know what I like? Choice. That’s what got me using Google web tools in the first place. Today is the first day, I’ve ever viewed Google in the same light as I viewed Microsoft in the mid-nineties.
I like to use my Google tools for productivity. I’m not sure how productive Buzz is going to be. I was hoping that Buzz would combine Wave’s collaboration strength with Gmail. Instead what I got was an additional service with no perceived value or use. 10 minutes into it, I’m already over Buzz. I don’t think Google does social well unless you consider collaborative tools to be social media.
So rather than to integrate some of Wave’s collaborative strength with Gmail, instead what we got was, “Dear Facebook, you took the FriendFeed team so we just went ahead and built our own FriendFeed. How do you like them apples?” I liked it better when Google did Google really well. Now it seems that Google wants to do Facebook, FriendFeed, Twitter, and Apple really well.
Am I being too cranky here? After using Buzz, does anyone really think it’s a competitor to Facebook, Twitter, or FourSquare?
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It looks harmless enough…I haven’t clicked any links..so my question to you would be, once I click a link, can I uninstall it if I don’t like it?
Oh, maybe I did opt-in… Crap. I can’t uninstall and I just checked another one of my Gmail accounts and it doesn’t offer me an option for Buzz, and neither does this third Gmail account. I’m not sure if Buzz is opt-in or not but as near as I can tell, I’m stuck with it under my primary Gmail account.
Wow. I’ve had Gmail since July 2004.
Amanda – It looks like there is an option to turn Buzz off in the footer of Gmail.
I found it interesting that I was following 11 people, 7 were following me, and we were posting–even though I had never heard of it before. One of the posts was “do we need this”? So if its worthless, why are we doing it with no more reason than, “because its there?”
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Mark,
I really agree that it looks like Google is off of their A-Game on this one. I actually thought that about Google Wave too.
Thanks for pointing out the “Off Button” for Buzz.
It might be ok, if they let me choose in the first place, but instead I woke up and found out I have all of these followers, and no way to control it.
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