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Facebook Plunges Again
Google may remove Buzz from Gmail
[Update: Google has now released a statement that they will not be removing Buzz from Gmail, but rather are considering building a standalone version of Buzz that doesn't require Gmail.]
Two days later, the negative press for Buzz has not let up. Users are unhappy about how tightly the social networking service is married to Gmail, and the resulting privacy concerns. Though yesterday Google attempted to assuage some of the concerns users are expressing, today Search Engine Land is reporting that Google's VP of Product Marketing, Bradley Horowitz, has said that Google is considering moving Buzz out of Gmail, and allowing users to claim new names that are not the part before the @ sign in their Gmail email address.
The Gmail integration isn't necessarily a bad thing for power users that know how to manage it, though I can see why they're considering the divorce; having Gmail and Buzz integrated together just makes the privacy concerns that much more obvious.
The username issue was a terrible idea, however. The mistake was actually made back when Google Profiles were released, and the only two options they gave were to use the username portion of your Gmail address, or a randomized string of characters.
If Google doesn't move Buzz out of Gmail, I'd sure like them to complete the integration. Google has the ability to make sure we don't have to see the same things more than once; in fact, if you're going to add clutter to Gmail, the onus is on them to make sure users are not burdened with duplication. For example, reading a Buzz thread in Buzz should automatically remove it from your inbox. And reading a shared item should remove it from Google Reader.
Suffice it to say that Buzz has a long way to go.
Comments
10
Subscribe to commentsdaddydaveFeb 12th 2010 6:07PM
Amazing. What would have been wrong with starting this off as a Google Labs project, get all the kinks worked out, and then making an official announcment once it built some, you know, buzz.
blogwardFeb 12th 2010 6:38PM
Buzz off.
melkiorFeb 12th 2010 7:16PM
Even though it's not going to happen, I'm all for separating Buzz from Gmail. Completely ignoring the fact that Buzz is a huge mass of bugginess and privacy issues, I honestly don't need another Twitter. I don't even use Twitter properly, so why would I want another product mimicking its usage. Yes, I know it can be turned off, but that's not the same. It's still there. And I can accidentally turn it on or another Google wave (pardon the pun) of improving the user experience will turn it on for me. Wouldn't be the first time, you know. I spent a large part of this day blocking people from it. I still haven't turned it off although I probably will by the end of the month. I'd sure like to see it go to some other separate app space, but I guess Google knows what I want better than I do. Bing is starting to sound really nice...
olivia44ffgFeb 13th 2010 1:33AM
Well according to me google has provided one more special feature to it's users.No doubt google is the most popular search engine and it has connected us with many networking sites.Buzz may be good for many reason.Let's wait and watch..
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sreerangachariFeb 13th 2010 4:53AM
hi i invite all to enroll in google buzz and contact me pl. thank u ........... asr
SilverWaveFeb 13th 2010 4:06PM
Not happy that some of this was turned on by default...
On the other hand forced me to clean-up some old accounts..
Just deleted 2 gmail accounts.
LilyFeb 13th 2010 4:58PM
I would be happy if they would just put all of the settings for all of the services that they offer on one page. That way I could set my gmail, reader, etc. all to private NO SHARING.
It is a pain to have to go to each individual piece of Google's services and make sure that I haven't been opted-IN to something new and "wonderful."
Some people just want to use their email accounts FOR EMAIL. No stupid chat, etc.
This Buzz crap is just another example of adding a "feature" that lots of us don't want.
ScarlettopiaFeb 13th 2010 10:58PM
I like to think that I'm pretty damn savvy when it comes to figuring out new web apps and such, but Google Buzz has me completely mystified. Apparently I keep mystifying Google in return, since the big G can't seem to decide whose "buzz" I'm following. One minute I'm following 4 people, the next I'm following 0 but there are 5 people following me ... And the crux of the matter is that I have no intention of using this at all. Leave me be, dammit! If I want to share something with someone, I have eleventy-billion other ways to do it. Do what you do best, Google: Gmail, Google Reader, Maps & Image search - leave the social networking "features" out of it!
jamesFeb 14th 2010 5:26PM
I can't believe this. Google has absolutely no respect for anybody. Did they ask you before they decided to offend you so much?
This goes to show exactly who you are to them. Lab rats.
DrakkenfyreFeb 14th 2010 11:01PM
They don't care, and they won't turn it off.
Look at the Google fade they have now that so many people hate. When you go to their page you have to move your mouse and then the rest of the links slowly fade in. It doesn't sound like much, but when you use it several times a day it gets annoying. All they need to do is add an option in preferences to disable it, and the people who hate it would be happy. But will they? No. They said it makes "searching more fun". Their marketing is stupid. They are trying to keep users from using Bing by "splashing up" their homepage, but in reality, they don't need to. It's stupid, and does nothing. They are ruining the entire point of the homepage, simplicity.
The newest thing? They won't remove it. They will keep it on and swear the users love it, and that their marketing is right on.