Google gives Gmail users a Buzz
Google has been trying to facilitate better, clearer, more organized communication for years. Gmail was a step in that direction. It is free, can be easily searched by the mailbox owner, and features unobtrusive and relevant ads on the page. Just like Google search.
Buzz is a mini-blogging/discussion feature available inside Gmail. It lets a Gmail user share information/insights with other people he communicates with from time to time. It also makes it easy to share information with everyone, if they prefer to make a given message Public instead of Private.
The feature was activated for some people a day or so ago. It came on for me right after lunch yesterday (Wednesday). Other people who use Gmail will be getting it sometime in the next 5 or 6 days.
It is a little nicer than Twitter in some ways.
Microsoft came out screaming about it this week. Microsoft has not been right about too much lately. So Google is probably taking this as a positive sign.
Google could probably bind Microsoft's recent "wisdom" related to what Google should not be doing, and make a guide book for managing to be more successful. Microsoft has railed about things that make Google more: popular, profitable, and helpful to the internet/computer using community. Not to mention the business community.
The companies Microsoft has complained about for the past year have good business strategies, unique products and services, and the engineering savvy/determination to get things done that revolutionize computing.
Microsoft saying everyone should just use Twitter and not use/build anything that competes with it tells me that it is definitely time to look for things that will compete with Twitter. Also, given Microsoft's past track record, it seems likely that Microsoft will try to come out with something to compete with Twitter within a year or two.
Buzz is a mini-blogging/discussion feature available inside Gmail. It lets a Gmail user share information/insights with other people he communicates with from time to time. It also makes it easy to share information with everyone, if they prefer to make a given message Public instead of Private.
The feature was activated for some people a day or so ago. It came on for me right after lunch yesterday (Wednesday). Other people who use Gmail will be getting it sometime in the next 5 or 6 days.
It is a little nicer than Twitter in some ways.
Microsoft came out screaming about it this week. Microsoft has not been right about too much lately. So Google is probably taking this as a positive sign.
Google could probably bind Microsoft's recent "wisdom" related to what Google should not be doing, and make a guide book for managing to be more successful. Microsoft has railed about things that make Google more: popular, profitable, and helpful to the internet/computer using community. Not to mention the business community.
The companies Microsoft has complained about for the past year have good business strategies, unique products and services, and the engineering savvy/determination to get things done that revolutionize computing.
Microsoft saying everyone should just use Twitter and not use/build anything that competes with it tells me that it is definitely time to look for things that will compete with Twitter. Also, given Microsoft's past track record, it seems likely that Microsoft will try to come out with something to compete with Twitter within a year or two.
Labels: communicating, google, im, social, web
posted by John Collins at
4:42 PM
