Posted by Facebook is shaking in its boots. They have a great platform, but haven’t monetized it yet. And then Google swoops in with a tremendous value proposition called “Buzz.” In short:
- Integrates various programs inside and outside of Google, including Gmail, Picasa, Twitter, and Reader
- No friend-ing needed. People you email are already included
- Simple privacy settings: Share what you want with who you want
I’ve been a huge fan of Google Reader for a long time, and I love the “sharing” feature, although it has some problems:
- Not enough people use it
- Not integrated in Gmail
- Somewhat difficult to share and read shared materials – must be logged into reader
Buzz appears to leverage this functionality and fix the problems as well.
Plus, taking the cue from simple blogging sites like Tumblr and Posterous, where no sign-up is needed, it appears that Buzz will not require the steps of signing up, friending, etc. Brilliant.
I’m excited to learn more about Google Buzz.