Start a New Social Network with Google Buzz

Posted on February 11, 2010 at 5:55 am

Recently, Google added a new feature to their Gmail accounts called Google Buzz. The icon for Buzz appears just under the inbox, and looks like a chat bubble with Trivial Pursuit wedges stuck in it.

Buzz - under inbox

When clicked, a familiar looking interface opens—a FaceBook-like text entry box beckoning us to post a message, link or picture for our followers to see.

Buzz - text entry box

Google automatically recruits you as a follower of the people you email or chat with most. We also see who is following us.

Buzz - who is following

So what do our followers see? Besides the messages, links and pictures we post in the text entry box, our followers will see our Picasa public albums, anything we share from Google Reader and our Gmail chat status.

We can also optionally add our Blogspot.com blogs, Flickr accounts and Twitter accounts to our Buzz. In this way, it can be an almost all-in-one place for followers—that is, if your blog is on BlogSpot and you tweet.

Buzz advertises Inbox integration for comments sent to our Buzz posts. It also advertises showing us just the good stuff, meaning, posts Buzz thinks we will find interesting.

buzz - mystery taco

How Google determines what we think is interesting is a mystery, but they have chosen a taco to represent this advertising point. Does that mean they think we are food obsessed?

Buzz will work with most Smartphones, including the iPhone. As a phone application, Buzz will show posts related to your current location, and allow users tag posts with their current location.

buzz with your phone

Buzz is a fairly well thought-out program, at least on our initial inspection. The integration with Blogspot, Twitter, Picasa and Flickr may make it a fun way to follow close friends.

The phone application is likely to be a great way to send digital post cards or learn new things about an area. We are not yet sure what to think of Buzz’s determination of what we think is interesting, though we are not opposed to tacos.

If you already have a Gmail account, you are already signed up for Buzz. More information about Buzz and its phone integration is available from Google.

» Filed Under Google Software/Tips

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Comments

3 Responses to “Start a New Social Network with Google Buzz”

  1. Jake said on : February 11th, 2010 at 9:32 am

    Until Google clarifies the privacy controls I’ve disabled the app, but I can’t get it off my iPod Touch. It won’t delete no matter what I do, and it doesn’t even show up on my iTunes interface. Any suggestions as to how to get rid of it?

    Thanks


  2. Taron said on : February 11th, 2010 at 10:21 am

    Note that you can turn off Google Buzz by scrolling all the way down to the bottom of your Gmail window and clicking Turn off Buzz.

    Also, if you want to maintain your privacy, you can hide who you are following and who is following you by going to your Google Profile and clicking on Edit profile at the top right.

    http://www.google.com/profiles/me

    Then you can uncheck the box that says “Display the list of people I’m following and people following me”.


  3. Tason said on : February 12th, 2010 at 2:10 am

    started…but let’s see if I can develop a community there or not…


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