Robert Sanzalone

This past week Google introduced a new social media service no one saw coming – Google Buzz.  Labeled as the new “Twitter Killer”, thousands of tech enthusiasts buzzed, rebuzzed and commented on each other’s buzzes on how this was something new, fantastic and MUCH better than any other social media service has ever been before. Yah, not quite.

The whole experience reminded me of another “tech frenzy” which occurred in early 2008. Tech Star Kevin Rose had introduced Pownce, a new micro blogging service with features far superior to anything else (at the time Twitter and Jaiku).  It could do links to audio and video, allow for easier conversations, less noise, etc. etc. Sound familiar? While the promise was there, Pownce quietly shut the doors at the end of 2008. Twitter had won.

Granted, this time around a much heavier player is involved – Google. With a large portion of the North American market using Gmail as their de facto email client, it seemed for many a “closer fit” to do what many don’t realize is already being done in other services for quite some time (the most  similar being Friendfeed).  The “instant engagement” factor dazzle many people and soon the day slips away as every single sneeze from recognized names is being liked and commented on.

I don’t like it. Not so much for the form it has taken, but more because it is not where most of MY engagement takes place. It totally makes sense if the big tech names such as Robert Scoble, Leo Laporte, or Loic LeMeur LOVE this platform… it works best for them. They can cough on their keyboards and 65 people from all over the world will ask them if they are OK within seconds. For me, Facebook is my present place of choice where colleagues, friends and relatives comment on my sneezes – and I appreciate that. Oh, I’ll broadcast those sneezes out to the rest of the services through Ping.fm (including Google Buzz) and will attract individual engagement here and there, but it’s not the same. Interesting but different.

I like it when companies like Google push the envelope and try to make present technology better or more integrated. They’re not evil. I’m just a little bit more cautious and cynical when I read comments like “I’m with Scoble. I’m going to do exactly what he does”… for no better reason than, well, Scoble says so.  The only words that come to mind are – TECHSHEEP. Hate ‘em, hate ‘em hate ‘em!

But back to Buzz… my feeling is it will by a part of many people’s  (and company’s) online strategy but in and of itself, it’s not really a game changer. Already the best use I’ve seen so far  has been by Pete Cashmore of Mashable getting feedback for stories being written, which totally makes sense since his blog’s constituency is Social Media. No “follow me because I say”. Just simple “Our writer’s are working on this story. What do you think?” kind of stuff. Totally gets my admiration and respect.

What are your thoughts? Being a “Buzzard” is game changing or just another social media brick in the wall?

Cheers.

Technorati Tags: Buzz, Friendfeed, Gmail, Google Buzz, Jaiku, Kevin Rose, Mashable, Pownce, Robert Scoble, Scoble, social media, Twitter