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121–130 of 176 posts

Re: Google Buzz

#121
post #90

I wonder if, when a company crosses a threshold we all think violates a Nash equilibrium, we start to oppose the company. With this move, Google is declaring war on a host of web companies that are heretofore thriving and collaborating and making tons of money. Every dollar of advertising that Facebook makes is a dollar or even more from Google. Every minute that facebookers facebook, google isn't showing them ads an…

> I wonder if, when a company crosses a threshold we all think violates a Nash equilibrium, we start to oppose the company. Do you mean "we, the people" or "we, the people who think in terms of Nash equilibria"? ;) More seriously: I don't think I care about how big the company is. Rather, I care about the quality of the product, and whether I am free to leave it for a competitor's product. Google is actually trying t…

Indeed. There are small companies that are horribly restrictive with their products/services, a lot more than some big companies.

It's about quality, not size.

Re: Google Buzz

#122
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, so the interesting twist in Google's story is that because of their dominance in the open web it is in their interest to protect the open nature of the web, rather than lock users into another walled garden. That's pretty cool, and I think they've been very smart to position themselves that way. It's still surprising how they completely fail to innovate in some areas, though.

And how much I personally use this will hinge fully on how well they do on making this as open as possible. If this has a solid API, and it's easy for an ecosystem of associated tools to grow around this, then I'll probably end up using it a good bit.

API is here: http://code.google.com/apis/buzz/

Re: Google Buzz

#124

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.

Perhaps there will be an option to disable Google Buzz for the Google Apps version of Gmail.

Re: Google Buzz

#125

What I don't understand is how people seem to be okay with Buzz being built into gmail. Don't we have enough of social networks that steal our time? Now we have one in or inbox? Not super excited about that fact.

Then turn it off. I'm okay with chat in Gmail - when I want to chat. If I don't want to chat I simply sign off. Simple enough. Options are good.

Re: Google Buzz

#126
Google is the new Microsoft in one sense: if they say or announce anything, geeks will spend more time talking about how they hate/fear/distrust Google than about the product.

Re: Google Buzz

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Depends. GMail was fundamentally innovative - do you remember what webmail was like before it launched? GMail gave us a gig of storage and Google search over your inbox and threaded conversation view and keyboard shortcuts and a UI that didn't require page refreshes between each message. Similarly, Maps was fundamentally innovative. If you went to GMaps c. 2005 and then went to MapQuest, there was absolutely no compa…

I'm afraid I don't agree with your use of the term "innovative". Regarding Gmail, I'd rather say they managed to clone mutt+procmail for the web in a reasonable manner.

Regarding Maps, the fundamental operations had been in place since at least 2002 at e.g. http://www.nl.map24.com/. Actually I haven't been there for quite some time, and I think in 2002 their interface was actually better than now.

Re: Google Buzz

#128

What I don't understand is how people seem to be okay with Buzz being built into gmail. Don't we have enough of social networks that steal our time? Now we have one in or inbox? Not super excited about that fact.

Then turn it off. I'm okay with chat in Gmail - when I want to chat. If I don't want to chat I simply sign off. Simple enough. Options are good.

I understand you will be able to turn it off, just like you can logout from Facebook. That's not the issue. It's the idea of creating something of this kind in a "holy place" like your inbox.

Re: Google Buzz

#129
I'm going to reserve final judgement until I actually get a chance to use the service and see the direction Google wants to take it. My first reaction is not positive. This feels like Google's Microsoft Money moment Go into a market with an established leader, use your size and dominance to undermine the competition just because you're the 800lbs gorilla and you need to be fed at any cost. There doesn't appear to be anything new here. Just a Google logo.

Re: Google Buzz

#130

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 think in most corporates (outside the software industry) it's the other way around. I can't access gmail/hotmail but can access social networks at work (in finance).

I've asked a couple of friends with corporate jobs, and they said Gmail is usually open but FB is blocked. They also said it doesn't matter, because everyone has a smartphone.

Not a great data point, but interesting none the less.

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