BUZZ GOLDBACH DIED 27 years ago next month so it's nice to see that Google has named its latest product (Google Buzz) after him. I've seen functional parts of this Gmail-integrated social networking utility already because I've used Google Latitude for more than a year (screenshot of my current Latitude in County Tipperary), Friendfeed before Gmail and the Jaiku mobile client since early 2007. (I found superb restaurants in Copenhagen using Buzz-like features.) Functionality from these three properties roll into Google Buzz. You need an apps-friendly phone (i.e., iPhone or Android) in order to mash up location info with short updates from people who like to leave throwaway remarks when they're out and about. I don't know how much of a demand exists for this service among mainstream mobile users who run below the tip of the early adopter iceberg. Specifically, you need to have a gadget craving to experience Google Buzz in your hand because you must have a high-end convergent phone. You won't get Google Buzz with 70% of the phones in current use but you might see it running inside Gmail if you're connected to people who use it as well.
Google is rolling out Google Buzz to its mail users. A tab in your mailbox lets you post status updates, share photos, links and videos. That's just like it's been inside Facebook, Friendfeed and Yahoo! for years. If you get feedback from your connected friends, you'll see it inside your inbox. Anybody can buzz you by using the @ symbol. I'm @bgoldbach if you're inclined. I'm also @topgold on Twitter and those should buzz inside Gmail for me as well.
You can shoot images and videos from Flickr and YouTube right inside Buzz and if you click on a video, it plays inline. Click on an image and it blows up to full screen. If you go to your feedly and share an article, you will see it appear within seconds in your Buzz stream (powered by Google Reader and PubSubHubbub).
Google Buzz is not a layer on Google Latitude. You need a separate mobile application to see buzz around your current location. Personally, I like the world view I get with Latitude because it gives me thumbnails of people I trust along with star-rated reviews of places I'm considering for meals and accommodation.
There's a social dimension of Google Buzz, well-grounded in the millions of unsuspecting contributors who already use Gmail. Fortunately, Google Buzz strips banal phrases like "Good Morning!" and "BFN" from status updates and that should mean a higher-quality flow of information for those who need to work when they open Gmail. As Jyri Engestrom says, "The game is no longer just about 'what are you doing'. As microblogging has become more popular, the stream has become more busy, and people are getting tired of sifting through the noise. So, now that pretty much everyone has shown up for the party, the value is moving to discovery, context, and relevance." I don't want to know what you had for breakfast, when you're at the keyboard or when you want to log off for the day. Just go.
Like Latitude and Jaiku, you can lock prying eyes from your updates and from following your GPS tracks. But if you open all Buzz to the world, you will share your footfall with the world through your public Google profile. Moreover, your profile gets shoveled directly into the Google Search engine and that will probably warm the hearts of SEO-minded events managers.
Jyri Engestrom -- "The buzz is out" on his blog, 10 Feb 10.
Dipankar Das -- "The integration of Google Buzz makes Gmail Social" on Simple Thoughts, 10 Feb 10.
Edward Ho, Tech Lead, Google Buzz -- "Google Buzz in Gmail on the Official Gmail Blog, 10 Feb 10.
Gmail Help -- "How to use buzz"
