A Fading Buzz
March 10, 2010
Google, like most math clubs, is indifferent to jibes and the comments from lesser mortals. I wonder how long that indifference can continue. consider “Google Buzz Could Have Dominated Location. (And Snuck Up On Facebook And Twitter.)” The write up makes the point that Buzz, which is about 30 days in the rough-and-tumble world of “real” products is, according to the article, “a mess.” I don’t have much of an opinion about Buzz. I leave that work to the young goslings who take to social media the way a young goose does to water. For me, the more telling comment in the write up is:
As a sharing service within Gmail, Buzz isn’t ready for primetime yet. As a location service, Buzz could have been a serious challenger to Foursquare, Gowalla, Brightkite, Loopt, and all the others preparing for big launches at SXSW later this week. Imagine Buzz as a location-based iPhone and Android app (or even just a web app). It still could have been linked to your Google Profile and perhaps would have even been a better gateway drug to making Google more social because it would have been a more gradual build-up. And to ensure some usage beyond Google Profiles, Google could have put Buzz in Gmail Labs, as an option for Gmail. As a broken social sharing service, Buzz in Gmail is annoying. But as a location-based stream of check-ins (that people could still comment on and like), it’s potentially interesting.
When I read this I think that Google’s tactical plans are not working particularly well. The issues range from a flawed view of the market to timing and sequencing. With the mounting legal troubles and the push into some tricky consumer sectors, Google’s management may have to step back and ask, “Now what?”
Stephen E Arnold, March 10, 2010
No one paid me to write this. Since I mentioned “buzz,” I think OSHA is in charge of noise-related regulations. Okay, I report receiving no money for this item.
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