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Google Buzz

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Re: Google Buzz

#91
post #39

Just tried it out on my Android, can someone tell me why I'll go to Foursquare now... This is the best checkin interface yet.

Because Foursquare incentivizes you to use it a hundred ways from Sunday, including games and promotions.

Yes that could be it, but I can tell you in new cities incentives are not big. When I see Buzz with Google Local Listings (with coupons), and place page I feel like I will not be using Foursquare that much. I'm probably wrong though, I was excited about Wave too.

Re: Google Buzz

#92
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Argh what is the point of comments like these? It is totally drowning out any useful discussion about the actual merits or demerits of the product. The iPod was a lame "me-too" product, eh?

Actually the same can be said of your answer :-/ That the iPod was a me-too product is an interesting comment, because it reminds us to look at what was special about it (beautiful design, tight integration with the desktop and media store). What's special about Buzz?

- tight email / reader integration, of course. For non-geeks, one communication center is enough, and GMail is the right place: most won't setup a combined IM + Mail + Twitter + FB + RSS desktop tool.

- lower barrier to entry: many people don't consider they have enough interesting things to say to make it worth creating a twitter account. They would more easily buzz it, since it's there in their mail account.

Re: Google Buzz

#93
Wow. Lookout lots of web companies. You're wallowing along in the middle of the road and this huge truck is barreling down on you at 100 kph. The truck's name is Google.

For the less metaphorically-inclined, Google has so much money and is doing so much development that they've reached the point that they are actively trying to obsolete hundreds of companies. You can certainly argue that perhaps these companies deserve to be replaced. Google is becoming the Wal-Mart of the web.

Re: Google Buzz

#94

Wow. Lookout lots of web companies. You're wallowing along in the middle of the road and this huge truck is barreling down on you at 100 kph. The truck's name is Google. For the less metaphorically-inclined, Google has so much money and is doing so much development that they've reached the point that they are actively trying to obsolete hundreds of companies. You can certainly argue that perhaps these companies deser…

They're not necessarily barreling over other smaller companies; sometimes they buy them which is a welcome exit for the founders.

Re: Google Buzz

#95

One thing that just struck me, is that google/gmail will not be banned from workplace computers as often as fb/twitter have been. This alone will be a significant advantage.

I've been fortunate enough to never have been employed at a company where the employer things its good practice to ban certain websites. How common is this? What field do you work in?

Re: Google Buzz

#96
Does anyone know if it works through Maps on Android 1.6? I just got the update on my G1 and posted an update through Maps, but it doesn't seem to show up on the Buzz layer.

Re: Google Buzz

#97

Is Google becoming the new Microsoft? Not in the evil sense, but in the lame me-too products that rely on brute force (their huge install base) and no innovation to hopelessly try to compete sense.

Google has always been this way as far as I can tell. They're basically using Microsoft's old strategy of "clone it and give it away so we can sell more of Windows" only with Google it's ads. The difference is everyone still loves them. Microsoft was seen as ruthlessly destroying their competition. Google is seen as innovative. Bizarre.

What did Microsoft ever give away to sell more Windows? (Serious question.)

Re: Google Buzz

#98
post #95

One thing that just struck me, is that google/gmail will not be banned from workplace computers as often as fb/twitter have been. This alone will be a significant advantage.

I've been fortunate enough to never have been employed at a company where the employer things its good practice to ban certain websites. How common is this? What field do you work in?

Thankfully in academia things are very relaxed. I just thought of a friend who has this problem and then I realised I know at least 2-3 people in office jobs who have similar issues. I'm in the UK btw.

Re: Google Buzz

#99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the looks of it, Google has integrated Buzz into their existing products (gmail, maps, places) that makes it more than just a me-too product. Specifically, a big advantage is in the way Buzz integrates with Gmail - it's brilliant. Compare how you would reply to an email notification from Facebook or Twitter: you'd have to login to the site and post your reply (or even see the actual reply) there. With Buzz, it's…

Totally agree... rather than shipping a stand alone product and dragging along users to use them, they simply integrated a new product into a very successful one. Plus, the new product fits perfectly.

My thoughts exactly. They could have almost introduced as a new feature instead of a new product, like how they've been adding more integrated support for YouTube sharing in GChat and Mail.

A lot of this was elegantly* evolutionary, but it's nice to see them put a name and publicity push behind it.

*In the non-mathematical sense.

Re: Google Buzz

#100

Wow. Lookout lots of web companies. You're wallowing along in the middle of the road and this huge truck is barreling down on you at 100 kph. The truck's name is Google. For the less metaphorically-inclined, Google has so much money and is doing so much development that they've reached the point that they are actively trying to obsolete hundreds of companies. You can certainly argue that perhaps these companies deser…

They're not necessarily barreling over other smaller companies; sometimes they buy them which is a welcome exit for the founders.

I agree. It's a great thing for those companies.

My point is that they have so many resources and so much raw computing power on the line that almost by accident they can burn to rubble dozens of different business models.

Overall some consolidation is probably a good thing, but I am continuously reminded of WalMart. WalMart perfected retail sales in much the same way as Google is perfecting rich internet applications. WalMart was able to deliver products cheaper than anybody else. Google in many cases just gives stuff away. WalMart drove out lots of small shops. Google seems to be doing the same. WalMart had a goal of dominating the market. Google wants to store every piece of data on the planet.

I'm perfectly happy shopping at WalMart -- they do a great job of providing me stuff at the best prices I can find. I'm not so convinced that I am as happy getting all of my internet data from Google. I'm NOT saying they're some kind of evil empire, just I'm beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable about them. It looks like whatever is the flavor of the week there's Google out there peddling their version of it.

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