When Google released Buzz to the tens of millions of Gmail users out there in the world, I was away from an actual computer for a few days (blasphemous, I know). My phone usually does a pretty good job as a laptop replacement while I'm away from my desktop but this time a full browser was the only way I would be able to check out what the ruckus was about.
When I finally got back to my 'puter, it seemed like the whole world had jumped on the new social media vehicle. Setting it up was easy enough, I was instantly being followed and following all my gmail contacts in conjunction with being connected to several other friendly sites. At first glance it looked like a Twitter client for Gmail. I figured my Twitter feed would instantly populate my Buzz feed and that would be that. I would get an email when people would comment via Buzz (which got annoying real fast) and I would be able to see if there were new posts in the sidebar of my Gmail.
That's pretty much where I lost interest.
Google Buzz is L A M E. They gave up on Wave, decided to strip it down to a stream of comments then latch it on to your Gmail. I understand that they're trying to leech onto this whole Twitter/Facebook juggernaut, but did they actually think this through? I would suspect that if you're going to jump in to the social media pool, you would take the time to learn how to swim.
Google Buzz is just too little too late. Buzz brings absolutely nothing new to the table. In fact, it's a regression to where Facebook and Twitter first started (as a concept). The interface is clunky and boring and there is really no way to expand your follower base beyond your gmail contacts. The whole purpose behind social media is to be social. Google missed the mark completely. Why would I bother posting something to Buzz if I can already actively chat with my Gmail contacts?
Now Google wants to be an ISP? Sounds good if you're looking to have beta internet for a few years.
