Google Takes on Social Networking

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This is just a quick post.... I finally headed over to Google's site to check out Google Buzz – the Big G's take on social networking.
My quick thoughts –

  1. If you love Gmail.... you'll probably like it.
  2. It seems to want to put Facebook and Picassa front and center.
  3. I don't like that it tries to "help" you and automatically follows the people you email the most. Just because I email a client a lot does NOT mean I want to follow them (or them me). A lot of clients do socialize with me via Facebook, but that is a CHOICE. Do not make decisions for me.
  4. It imports Twitter.... I wonder how they feel about that? Wouldn't be surprised if they blocked it. Same thing with flickr (a Yahoo property).
  5. I love Facebook and Twitter... but they are VERY different. This seems to be trying to be "both and more." When is that a good thing?
  6. "Buzz recommends interesting posts and weeds out ones you're likely to skip." Uh-huh... just like those incredibly effective Google Ads you sere up when I do a search that have little to NOTHING to do with what I'm interested in?
  7. It seems to be Google Wave... take 2. Except Google Wave is still around. I got an invite... but only a few people I know use it. Unlike say Facebook.

So... here's the link – http://www.google.com/buzz
Me... I'm skeptical as hell.