So, Google has started rolling out its new social service, called Buzz, to all the Gmail users. For months there has been speculation regarding Google’s social activities and many thought that the Wave would become Google’s social pinnacle. Thankfully, they were wrong and please don’t even mention Orkut. Wave now reminds me of the iPad: a mediocre product [at least on paper] followed by overwhelming hype. Do any of your acquaintances use the Wave? Mine are very few. But the Buzz is a different animal.
Basically, it seems the simplest idea: integrate Gmail with a social service that aggregates your existing online activity while giving you the option to post directly text, links, photos, etc. Millions already use Gmail as their primary e-mail account and trust the Google brand in terms of privacy and security. When I first joined the Buzz [ a few hours ago], I thought I had a Friendfeed deja vu, a service which I rarely use. This mental image almost made me stop from clicking the «post» button. Then, it hit me as always when something new arrives on my computer screen. Google’s Buzz is the shiny, new toy. I want to play with it, explore its possibilities, check out the available settings, complain about the lack of a desktop client, etc. Do I actually need it? No, I don’t. As I don’t need a touch-screen phone to make calls or send text messages or read my e-mails, though I buy it and enjoy the experience it presents me with.
It’s not a matter of what we need anymore. It’s a matter of what we want, where to find it and how we use it. The Buzz is not a revolution, but it’s an evolutional step for one of the most popular e-mail services. Will it survive the first wave of hype? Yes. Why? Because it will be there every time a Gmail user logs in to the service’s web interface and that’s enough reason for the people on Mountain View to raise their champagne glasses.
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