A hybrid of a scad of social networking sites, the new Google Buzz is, well, all the buzz among everyone whose lives depend on Gmail (namely, all of us). Buzz, like Facebook and various blogging platforms, enables users to post texts, pictures, videos, or links. The posts can be private or public for all your “followers” and your public Google profile (yes, you have one of those now). Your followers can comment on or “like” your posts. All in the name of merry, modern socializing.
Sounds a lot like the million of sites you already have, right? Well, the nifty thing about Buzz is its integration inside Gmail. Gone are the days where you must agonize about whether or not to create yet another profile on yet another social networking platform, choose a username, find friends, and log in daily (or for some of us, hourly). Buzz, conveniently located just under your inbox, is already there for you to use, love, and procrastinate with. So even though it allows you to do things you are already doing, Buzz, like all things Google, will make your life easier and more efficient.
Perhaps the one defect of Buzz is that it enables virtually anyone you have ever e-mailed to follow you. Needless to say, this could have dire, awkward consequences, especially, say, if you posted a Playboy article before realizing that your TF was following you. Sure, you can “block” followers, but not until after they have started following you. However, this little function can easily be fixed—get to work, Google!
Let’s face it, Google has changed the way we use the Internet. We can’t live without G-chatting our blockmates from a few feet away or Google Mapping the post office down the street. Looking at Google’s track record of success, it seems that Buzz is here to stay.
