Google Buzz launched

Yesterday the Official Google blog announced Google Buzz, explaining:

"Google Buzz is a new way to start conversations about the things you find interesting. It's built right into Gmail, so you don't have to peck out an entirely new set of friends from scratch — it just works. If you think about it, there's always been a big social network underlying Gmail. Buzz brings this network to the surface by automatically setting you up to follow the people you email and chat with the most. We focused on building an easy-to-use sharing experience that richly integrates photos, videos and links, and makes it easy to share publicly or privately (so you don't have to use different tools to share with different audiences). Plus, Buzz integrates tightly with your existing Gmail inbox, so you're sure to see the stuff that matters most as it happens in real time."

There are also a couple of videos to explain Buzz.  Here's one  ..

Find out more here: Google Buzz

Of course, there has been lots of commentary about Buzz in the media, so here are just a few snippets from articles I've read:

• "Google on Tuesday released Buzz (news), its Twitter competitor. Or is it a swipe at FriendFeed? The new platform has elements of both."
  Rafe and Josh debate Google's buzz, Webware, 9 February 2010

• "Google has been known to launch products (hello Wave) that get a lot of initial hype but end up being curiosities at best in the hands of users. This is not to diminish the areas in which Google still holds strong - search and e-mail. So the unveiling of their new Buzz tool for Gmail users is being met with skepticism in some quarters even as it seems to hold out several promising features."
  Is google Buzz more than just hype? Noah Mallin, The Huffington Post, 9 February 2010

• "Mobile could be one of the biggest keys to the success of this product ... Buzz may benefit businesses as an organizational tool. The first thing that comes to mind is the expansion of communication with existing contacts."
  Will Google Buzz change the social media Game? Chris Crum, Web Pro News, 9 February 2010

• "Google and Facebook are on a collision course"
  With Buzz, Google plunges into social networking, Miguel Heft and Brad Stone, New York Times, 9 February 2010

• "AWESOME idea."
  Google Buzz re-invents e-mail, Tim O'Reilly, O'Reilly Radar, 9 February 2010

What are your thoughts?

UPDATE: Google Buzz Reading List

Comments

[portiah]

The social networking sites are fun way of reaching out and to keep in touch with friends, loved ones and business matters too. it is convenient too.I use the fecbook more often. yahoo and other sites are criticizing that they have run the same features on thier respective sites. I guess google could also make use of the same idea as a new service for the users in connection to social networking sites. Googlebuzz or Gmailbuzz is going to cut in on Facebook – but that doesn't entirely make a lot of sense. Granted, it DOES have features that Facebook and other social networking sites share – such as sharing photos, videos, etc – but that is just as much the domain of Digg and Reddit as Facebook's. I would venture that it's probably more akin to Twitter than Facebook – and I don't think anything is going to cause Facebook to run for payday loans anytime soon.

[Radha Giri]

Here is a nice article by Vikas Joshi - 'Google Buzz and Social Learning: Connect the Dots'

http://learningharbinger.blogspot.com/2010/02/google-buzz-and-social-learning-connect.html