Google Buzz!

Vidit Bhargava

Today once again we stand at a fork between 2 paths on which is more popular and the other which is better. Buzz was going to be the latest thing in GMAIL since a user of its tried to label the thing in January but couldn't do so. So what is buzz? If you've read today's newspaper and watched yesterday's news its a facebook killer social networking facility. Is it?

After the much anticipated announcement Google states.."Its our first step in Social networking arena", Remember the long dead orkut here? Wasn't it from Google? Anyways, this time Google isn't taking any chance, they're doing their new product the Pritam & Microsoft way. Yeah, they're copying features from other SN sites; Twitter and Fb. You tweet in twitter n do nothing else, same goes here. You just update your status and wait for comments. Like in Fb, people like your status updates, they can even share it, and do stuff. Thats not it, sharing videos and photos is also prevalent. But just like Twitter, you don't have 3rd party apps.

You may ask, that's what a social networking site does, isn't it? Well, yes social networking sites more or less do the same thing but not quite distinctively like buzz does it. You open buzz from your gmail account and you'll find 2 things familiar: One that people are following you and you are following people (taken from twitter, of course) the other being that you can update your status and like or comment on others also (Facebook perhaps!). So you see they're directly taking stuff from other sites.

Twitter started the idea for tweets and following people, its successful. Facebook gave us status updates, like and dislike feature. Today 400 million people use facebook. These sites were unique and they've got their share of credit. Remember, Orkut lost track midway, just because they tried to pick up stuff from Facebook.

However, Google Buzz is not all about copying, it too has something unique about it. Integration with Gmail brings a lot of attention in many people's inbox. This is an instant hit formula, as there are many people on Gmail who don't know much 'bout social networking, they'll get into it very quickly. We also see a location adding feature in mobiles. Also sharing photos with picasa, videos with youtube, blog posts from blogger and brace yourself, tweets with twitter (Yes, the very thing they've picked up the idea from) are good new options which certainly attract people.

While, this article may seem to be all about copying stuff from other sites and how I don't like that but that's what the "New" Google Buzz is about!

Like many other popular people and companies who extract stuff from the less popular sources (like Pritam takes from Korean songs & Microsoft lifts stuff from Apple), Google too is going the same way. That's unfortunate. However, they're products still be hit, they are popular. Be Unique and innovative Google.

Also, not to forget Facebook is getting old and twitter which is still to be popular amongst the youth & common people (only 140 character tweets). Google Buzz is up for grabs for those who want a new social networking platform.

Finally, Its about the people, they are the ones who'll decide for which site to choose. Social Networking works just because of the people & that's the reason I might use it (indirectly of course, I'll use twitter integration. I prefer the better!). There's nothing more that attracts me to use Buzz.