Stung by critics, Google alters Buzz - Boston Globe, 2/15/10I'm glad to see this article today in the Boston Globe. My response to Google Buzz during its first week is summed up in my Facebook the day Buzz showed up on my Gmail page:
Is anyone else feeling sort of 'raped' by social media? Apparently I don't have a choice about joining Google Buzz. It's already there, I'm already being 'followed' and am involuntarily 'following' others. Rape is defined as "forced, manipulated, or coerced (social media) contact by a stranger, friend or acquaintance. ... It is an act of aggression and power combined with some form of (social media)."
What I find astonishing is that a company like Google did not anticipate this kind of reaction when they designed this product. Responses among my friends ranged from "why do we need another Facebook" to being horrified that who we were following and being followed by was not optional for the user, but chosen by Google! Whose brilliant idea was that?!Did they do any test marketing of this product or were they so desperate to create their own social networking function that they decided it was best to force relationships on their users? I'm quite sure this flaw would have become evident in even the smallest of focus groups. The result, for this victim of Buzz, is that the effort now just seems pathetic and unoriginal to me. That said, Buzz turned me off to the point that I have not explored all it offers. Maybe someone can tell me if it serves any purpose not already offered by Facebook?
plus all your google-related products (picasso, gtalk, youtube etc) are already linked to your buzz. if you upload a photo, all your gmail contacts (btw, a gmail contact is someone you mailed at least once. so, you don't necessarily know the person) will see it! what a joy!
ReplyDelete