Google Buzz!!! A new fad??? Or a new avenue and innovation from Google??? Time will tell.
You know, there was a time when people were flocking to hi5. then it was namesdatabase and then there was something else, then Orkut, Facebook, Twitter and also for a very brief while MSN spaces and Yahoo 360. Now it is Google Buzz.
But then, there were USAmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, Rediff, Postmark and then Gmail. So, you never know.
Truth to be said, I have stayed with Orkut. I have not registered with Facebook, Twitter etc. I used to register with every other website hoping to stay in touch with friends. After many such websites, I have realised that it is not the website that connects me with my friends but it is ME who does that. If I want to stay in touch, nothing can stop me and if I am too lazy then, nothing can make me stay in touch.
After realizing this, I stopped all my social networking sites. There are a few which I checkout occasionally but that is not the greatness of the site. It is the dormant wish to get in touch with friends that makes me do it.
The best example I offer is Shelfari. None of my friends use this. But I do. I am a regular here and maintain my shelf in good shape. I occassionally post a reivew or answer a question. This I do with a complete stranger. But I dont post a word on Orkut and dont update my status. I am extremely reluctant to share anything with others when there is no ned-to-know.
That rule falls apart when it comes to Shelfari. So, I strengthen my conclusion. It is not the website that keeps people in touch. Websites is just a tool helping people stay in touch better. In the sense that a chainsaw is better than a pick axe, Twitter is better than some other such site.
That said, I agree that Buzz's target customers are not folks like me. For those who wish to stay connected, it might be a great tool. Coz' it had been less than 12 hours since its launch and I have buzzed thrice so far. So, who knows? If Google has finally figured a way to make the horse drink its water, then Hatsoff Google.
But for the folks who are strong fans of social networking, is Buzz a better tool? Or just another tool? Time will tell.
N. Gopi Krishna
B. Tech (C. S. E)
Assistant Consultant,
Tata Consultancy Services
