TECH BOTTLE http://tbottle.com &#187; Social Networking

If you missed Buzz this week… all the buzz is about… Buzz.

Google Buzz Expands: Now on all Mobiles and ReBuzzing

Jon Mallin — Thu, 27 May 2010 23:35:14 +0000

I’m a big fan of Google Buzz and encourage others to check it out. Today the Google Buzz Team made two big announcements — one awesome and the other so-so.

I’ll start with the awesome announcement. The mobile version of Google Buzz now works on virtually all smartphones, including Blackberry, WebOS, Android <2.0, Nokia S60, and Windows Mobile. Previously, only iPhones and Android 2.0+ could access the mobile site. The Blackberry version can even support location based searches by following some simple instructions. The inclusion of Blackberry specifically should help build the Buzz user base because 43% of smartphone users are toting Blackberries, as of Jan. 2010.

The so-so news is that Buzz now has a native rebuzzing feature which is called “reshare.” Some people are wild about this but I’m not. While it’s only been out a few hours, it seems to fragment meaningful discussions into multiple tidbit buzzes. Also, who wants to read the same blog post 30 times in their Buzz stream? Nonetheless, the eagle has landed and rebuzzing is here.

[via Official Gmail Blog]

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Proof Facebook is a Privacy Nightmare

Today’s Facebook Privacy #FAIL

Jon Mallin — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:04 +0000

When it comes to privacy, Facebook just doesn’t get it. Today Facebook held a press conference where CEO Mark Zuckerberg laid out Facebook’s position on privacy, apologized for some mix-ups and offered up some bandaids that will be rolled out in the next few weeks. I am going to focus on the most important point of this entire debate which centers around whether public sharing should be opt-in or opt-out.

I’ve been thinking critically about the latest Facebook changes, writing posts about them (here and here), reading other opinions, and participating in debates on Google Buzz with some tech enthusiasts. I’ve come to the following conclusion: Facebook accounts should have an option to only share information with friends and that should be the default selection. Changes that permit the broader sharing of information should be implemented in a opt-in fashion, not foisted upon the masses.

Facebook has routinely moved the privacy goal posts. Every time changes take effect, Facebook “mandates by update” sharing beyond one’s circle of friends. This is not what many of us signed up for. I joined Facebook about three years ago when users had better control over their information and Facebook didn’t regularly flip switches to make banter among friends public to the world. We have shared opinions, jokes, links and pictures within this framework in a controlled fashion. Flash forward. Beginning in December and then later with the Open Graph API, Facebook opened up practically everything to everyone. Users needed to toggle switches to maintain the same level of sharing as they enjoyed before. This is plainly absurd, as I observed before. It would be akin to Google or Microsoft taking your email and publishing it without you affirmatively electing to do so. Now, I wouldn’t have a problem if Google or Microsoft permitted users to publish emails provided that the option were accompanied by adequate instruction. Facebook just does what it wants when it wants and without adequate instruction, control or warning.

Super kudos to the French reporter who asked Zuckerberg why Facebook doesn’t follow the OPT-IN model for sharing. It was probably the single-most important question to ask and it was completely fumbled in a very laughable way. This is the exchange:

Q (French press agency): Why not make the default the most restricted possible privacy setting?

A (Zuckerberg): We want to give people control over their privacy. Really restrictive settings make it hard for people to find each other.

Are you kidding me? First, making the model opt-in does not interfere with a user’s control over privacy settings. You could have all the same choices but the default would always be the most restrictive settings. Accordingly, when Facebook makes changes that allow broader dissemination of previously private or semi-private information, the changes wouldn’t just be sprung upon unsuspecting users. Second, why would an opt-in model make it difficult for people to find each other? Users are identified by names and a thumbnail picture, if they so choose. Friends in common are also displayed. Why does publishing someone’s news feed make it easier “for people to find each other”? It doesn’t. Someone really should have followed up on the French reporter’s question.

Some might argue that you opt-in when you sign up for Facebook. Not when I signed up. We created our own sharing circles. Sure privacy policies can and do change but I made an erroneous and naive assumption that the service was run by responsible adults. Instead, we’re being forced into the public sharing model to (1) “give people control over their privacy” and (2) “make it [easier] for people to find each other.” #FAIL.

P.S. Leo Laporte of TWiG is promoting Google Orkut as a Facebook alternative like many of us on Buzz. While it needs some fixin’ and some polishing, Orkut really is a decent platform. More importantly, Orkut is backed by Google, a company run by adults who have proven themselves over a long period to time to be responsible.

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Tech News from the Past Week

Jon Mallin — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:49:39 +0000

I sure picked the wrong week to be busy with non-tech stuff. Much has happened in the past week and my Google Reader is still readlined at 1000+ new articles to read. These are some of the stories from the past week that look the most interesting:

Android 2.2 “FroYo” debuted at Google I/O. Many people have it up and running on rooted Nexus Ones. It supports the creation of mobile hotspots which basically turns a FroYo device into a wireless router. IntoMobile has been providing good coverage. It recently reported that the “leaked” version is not the final version, according to Googler Romain Guy, but it is apparently very stable.
Google I/O attendees found HTC Evo 4Gs in their goodie bags, Oprah style. I’ve written about the Evo 4G before (which should have stayed with the codename “Supersonic” but, anyhow…). What happens when you give an hot Android phone to hundreds of developers? Well, someone figures out how to gain superuser access by rooting the device (video). Robert Scoble started a high traffic Buzz comparing the Evo to the iPhone platform. Many newly minted Android fans weighed in and dueled with Apple fanatics. The iPhone 4G (or HD or whatever they decide to call it) has a fierce competitor comprised of Google and virtually every major device manufacturer.
Mark Zuckerberg conceded by email (which he agreed to make public): “I know we’ve made a bunch of mistakes….” Captain Obvious? I wonder, however, whether they did as big a land grab as possible with a slight retreat in mind from the onset. Don’t know. In any event, it remains to be seen what Facebook intends to do about the mistakes. I suggest that they include a lockdown button in the privacy settings which basically toggles off all information sharing except with friends. In my opinion, that would be a step in the right direction for Facebook.
Gizmodo found or stole another prototype, depending on your perspective. This one appears to be the Motorola Shadow which runs Android. The story goes that a gym employee found one laying around and Gizmodo got ahold of it (follow link for pics). This phone looks great and it’s almost certainly Verizon bound. It could be branded as the “Droid 2.”
The Google Orkut experiment is still ongoing. A number of Google Buzz users are playing around with Orkut and enjoying it. If you’re at all interested, check out my post about it.
Finally, this blog has been getting very heavy traffic lately compared to historical numbers. I attribute that primarily to my posts about the HTC Incredible which is still back ordered at Verizon. I’ve loaded up on apps and if you don’t know where to start, check out my AppBrain page. Also, I redid the TechBottle logo in the header of the blog. Do you like it? Be honest. I’m on the fence about it but I’d rather read and write to the blog than tinker with the logo more.

P.S. I have something brewing with a major carrier. Expect good but very honest hands-on cellphone reviews. It’s also possible I’ll have some leaked info about upcoming phones soon. Stay tuned!

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Google Buzz deserves a second chance

Jon Mallin — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:06:48 +0000

I budget most of my social networking time for Google Buzz. Here’s my long-winded why…

Facebook support waivers and A list bloggers like Mashable speculate about the fate of MySpace, but nobody seems to be reporting on Google Buzz. Sure, it faltered out of the gate with a privacy misstep. To briefly recap: users were set to auto-follow their Gmail contacts and those auto-follows could be seen by other Buzz users. However, this was done inadvertently and the problem was patched faster than a speeding bullet. This issue was addressed quite well at SXSW. Google apologized. (It differs significantly from Facebook intentionally taking what was previously private and unapologetically broadcasting it to the entire 400 million plus Facebook community but that’s another post altogether.) Now, in case you were wondering, Buzz doesn’t have any known privacy bugs. You can buzz publicly or privately. You can show or hide your list of people you follow and people who follow you. Has anyone in the media or blogosphere been reporting on this?

To me, this is what makes Google Buzz appealing and more so than competing social networks:

Building a Buzz environment to your liking: It is easy to build followers and to reciprocate follows. My Google Buzz followers are largely active Buzz users. I have more Google Buzz followers than Twitter followers and I joined Twitter ages ago. I enjoy both reading and writing on Buzz.
Twitter falls short: Twitter is often difficult to follow. Conversations, which rarely develop, need to be decrypted because of the 140 character limit and the lack of meaningful organization of Tweets. It doesn’t help matters that many active Twitter users tend to be get-rich-quick schemes and pure follow-back whores.
Facebook is a different animal: Facebook isn’t really about expanding horizons. Sure, I like keeping in touch with people and Facebook makes that easy. I suggest you ask yourself these questions if you think Facebook is the be-all-end-all of social networks: How many new people have you met on Facebook? How many real conversations have you engaged in on Facebook? What is the signal to noise ratio on Facebook? Are you content with Facebook governance and frequent changes in policy?
The Buzz platform is well designed. Sharing information from Google Reader, YouTube and by URL has never been easier. We are expecting to see the Buzz API opened up at Google I/O which should benefit the platform and accelerate Buzz growth.
Community support and mobilization: We’ve taught each other how to use Buzz and some conventions for Buzz use have developed. We’ve mobilized to support Buzz and provided feedback to the Google Buzz Team. The Google Buzz Team has responded with improvements and is currently privately beta testing new features.
Buzz is a community. I have met new people near and far (very far) and joked, shared opinions and debated. Buzz users have engaged and thoroughly discussed many topics. My posts and ideas have generated more discussion on Google Buzz than any other platform. I’m not alone in this regard; other people report the same. It’s nice to have feedback every once in a while from a diverse group of people.

Buzz is social media at its finest! If you were scared off by the privacy glitch and haven’t experienced Buzz recently, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Give Buzz a second chance.

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Google Orkut Experiment

Jon Mallin — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:16:57 +0000

What the hell is Orkut? It was Google’s first attempt at building a social network. It launched in August of 2008 but never posed a serious challenge to Facebook. As of December 2009, the breakdown of Orkut users by country was 51.09% Brazil, followed by India with 20.02% and United States with 17.28%. Apparently, in Brazil many cafes proudly display the fact that they offer Orkut access. Last night, a bunch of Google Buzz users decided to poke around on Orkut. We even formed a “Community” for Google Buzz Users that anyone can join.

These are my impressions: Orkut’s interface blends Facebook and MySpace both circa 2008. Users follow one another (requiring the followee’s consent) and status updates appear in chronological streams. In this regard, it functions pretty much like Facebook and MySpace and differs from Twitter and Buzz. Like MySpace and unlike Facebook, users can customize their experience by selecting themes and completing detailed and risque profile information (turn ons, turn offs, things you can find in your bedroom, etc.). Many of us tame folks just pasted a link to our Google Profiles that we use for Buzz. One feature that caught my eye today is that users leave “tracks” when they view other people’s Orkut pages. Some might find that objectionable but Orkut otherwise provides significant control over your information, moreso than Facebook does.

Where do I think this is heading? Probably nowhere outside of Brazil and India but it is a Facebook alternative that some people might consider. Some of the Orkut plumbing was probably integrated into Google Wave and Google Buzz. Speaking of Buzz, apparently the API is going to be released at Google I/O, per a buzz by Robert Scoble, which could boost activity. In my opinion, Buzz is alive and well despite the hiccups at launch and dearth of media attention since then. Leo Laporte, Louis Gray, Robert Scoble and other tech notables routinely hang out on Buzz. It’s really become an interesting platform because headlines, excerpts and full posts become launchpads for in depth discussions that don’t (couldn’t?) occur on Facebook and Twitter. Also, some users have reported that improvements are being privately beta tested on Buzz, although details are scarce.

If you click over to Buzz, feel free to follow me or if you want to try out Orkut send me a friend request.

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Facebook vs. Google isn’t about Social vs. Search

Jon Mallin — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:18:37 +0000

Some notable blogs are setting up a false dichotomy between “social” and “search” for finding and consuming information. They suggest that Facebook is the “social” alternative to Google’s “search.” This is fundamentally wrong, I argue below. Instead, what we have is a war between two “platforms” neither one of which really fits purely into one of those categories. Both want to attract your eyeballs to their advertisements.

What is Google?

It’s a conduit through which advertisers reach people who have shared their personal preferences with Google. While Google was initially purely a search engine, that is no longer true today. As I wrote yesterday, Google wants to know everything it can about each and every person. Reiterating yesterday’s musings:

Whom do you phone? Google Voice.

To whom do you write? Gmail, Google Wave and Google Buzz.

What do you buy? Google Checkout and Google Product Search.

What do you watch on television? Google TV, which is anticipated to launch with Sony next month.

What do you read? Google Reader and Google Scholar, despite some bumps in the road.

Where do you eat? Google Maps, 800-GOOG-411, Google Places.

What ailments do you have? Google Health, although it appears to be a flop.

Where do you work? Google Profiles.

Where do you live? Google Maps.

What do you look like? Google Profiles and Google Visual Search, perhaps tied together one day.

Where are you? Latitude, Google Buzz and Google Places.

Where did you go and where will you go? Google Calendar.

While the search business fits into this overall picture, it is important to note that very little of the preference harvesting today relies heavily on it.

What is Facebook?

Similar to Google in a sense. Facebook is a conduit through which advertisers reach people who have shared their personal preferences with Facebook. This really begs the question, what do we share with Facebook? Not much when compared to Google. Facebook is far less efficient at harvesting information and has fewer tentacles. These are the questions Facebook may be able to answer about a particular user:

What is your name?

What do you look like?

What is your birthday?

And so on. Facebook also knows what social games you enjoy playing and what you “Like.” Facebook cannot answer most of the questions above that Google can answer. Facebook doesn’t have an email client, a calendar, mapping software, voice transmission, video transmission, etc. Google is much more efficient at harvesting information because it has many more web properties and, not surprisingly, they happen to be the best in most areas.

As an aside, this is where Facebook has truly gone off the deep end: Facebook is giving away the crown jewels. It is now divulging your preferences (“Likes” cannot be made private, for example) to third parties who can archive them indefinitely. This is contrary to the Google platform that seeks to obtain everything tidbit of information about you but tries to lock down that information for Google’s use only. (Buzz was a notable, accidental exception but that mistake was remedied within a couple of days.)

Implications

Search vs. Social is bullshit. Google is social. Google services allow me to communicate with friends and family by Gmail, Wave, Buzz, Voice, etc. I can read their thoughts in emails, hear their voices, see their faces, etc. What makes Facebook more “social” than Google? The fact that someone I went to elementary school with posted about her breakfast food and that she spilled orange juice on her new shoes? Now, there’s the “search” issue. This deserves emphasis:

Facebook does not have a map of the entire internet; Google does.

Google is a better platform for other reasons. It is better organized. I know where to find information I seek. My appointments are on my calendar, my emails are in my inbox, etc. I can archive everything. Facebook provides us, primarily, with a stream of crap that tells me about my friends’ virtual farms, mafias, fish, etc. I see a bunch of happy birthday posts too. The Facebook stream is entirely disorganized and it is not archived in a useful way.

The argument that Facebook will somehow whip Google in the near future baffles me. Google is way out of Facebook’s league in so many different areas. It harvests information better. It protects information it harvests better. It offers utility to its users. If provides us with services that Facebook cannot even come close to providing any time soon. So, this Facebook > Google argument that is being tossed around the internet seems like nonsense to me. I put my money where my brain is. I’m holding my GOOG stock and maybe building the position especially since some people were recently fooled by the blogosphere into believing that Facebook is a serious threat to Google. It isn’t right now and couldn’t become one for a very, very long time.

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Proof Facebook is a Privacy Nightmare

Jon Mallin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:58:18 +0000

Chances are good that you (1) use Facebook and (2) have no idea what the new Facebook Open-Graph API is all about. It’s basically a behind-the-scenes way for Facebook to share your personal information with the entire world; the sharing is default, although you can opt out, which isn’t an easy task. Want to know whether Facebook is telling the entire world that you like Fruity Pebbles cereal? Ka-Ping Yee created a tool which allows you to find out what any Facebook user is sharing. You can find it here: http://zesty.ca/facebook/. All you have to do is type in a Facebook ID or user name and it does the rest. It can report a user’s real name, birth date, location, “Likes” (formerly pages you were a “fan” of), photos, etc. This begs the question, “where exactly did we sign up for this shit?”

That’s the question being asked by many, including many of the top Googler celebrities who have deactivated their Facebook accounts. Four Senators have sent a letter to Facebook complaining about this issue. (Perhaps they didn’t use the word “shit” but, anyways…) Chuck Schumer, D-NY, has spearheaded this effort and even lobbed a complaint in with the Federal Trade Commission.

I have been contemplating suspending my Facebook account but ultimately decided against it. I just won’t “Like” anything and I will monitor my information to make sure that it doesn’t get shared with the public (again). The real solution: A turn-this-shit-off-forever button. I’d “Like” that.

[via GigaOM]

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Facebook “Crowdsourcing” the Internet with Like Buttons

Jon Mallin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:45:25 +0000

What’s Facebook up to with all this “like” stuff? I’ll begin by assuming that you are as confused as I was about this idea. Basically, Facebook is attempting to get every website to implement a Facebook “Like” button. When you click a Like button, your Facebook profile will be updated to include your new Like. If this catches on, then the entire internet can be ranked, in a sense, by Facebook users. This information about Likes is relevant in two ways. First, the data can be used on the micro level to target advertisements to you on Facebook, the stickiest and most popular website on the internet. Second, the data can be used on the macro level to perform a popularity ranking of the internet.

Crowdsourcing is the outsourcing of tasks to a large community. An example of crowdsourcing is a cellphone app that reports gasoline prices and asks users of the app to report back prices they observe. Facebook is attempting to crowdsource the internet. Instead of crawling the internet with sophisticated spiders that follow every link, they shift the task to the website owners who must install a “Like” button and to the Facebook populance who must click the buttons to make the system work.

This fundamentally differs from Google’s approach to indexing the web in a few ways. Google spiders the web to detect new content. This approach is changing somewhat through advancements like PubSubHubBub (say that ten times fast) which allow content providers to push their updates to Google and burn real-time RSS feeds. Google also crowdsources the internet in a way but it does so seamlessly and, more importantly, privately. When you search for pages on Google and click links, Google learns both what you like (without clicking a button) and also uses this information to target advertisements and even rank pages in your own search results. In the aggregate, this information (your clicks) is used to rank pages.

So, what’s the difference? Facebook has slowly chipped away at users’ privacy. For example, Facebook updates are now public by default. Perhaps Twitter paved the way for that change but it was not a welcomed change by many. Now, Facebook users are being asked to essentially display their internet preferences and browsing history to their “friends” and the general public. The privacy implications of this scheme are profound. Imagine if Google’s Chrome browser or Google.com asked users to opt-in and make their browsing history public (even on a per-click basis). People would be, rightfully so, outraged. Facebook is being raked over the coals by privacy groups and many people who actually understand what is being proposed. However, the cuteness of “Like” concept and the appeal of the Facebook brand have blinded some people from questioning the entire concept. Frankly, I don’t plan on clicking Like buttons and I believe that people should really think critically about the system that is being implemented.

Somewhat uncomfortably, this website has a Facebook button in the upper right. This enables those who click to see posts in their Facebook stream. This button was created long before we were asked to rank the entire internet. It was intended to serve an entirely different purpose and it wouldn’t bother me one bit if you choose to unlike Tech Bottle but follow the posts another way (by e-mail, Buzz, Twitter, RSS readers, etc.). While on the topic of unliking, I have read that unliking something might pluck the logo off of your profile but there will be other ways to determine a user’s past likes. So, if you Liked Coke last week but want a job at Pepsi this week, you might have sunk yourself.

P.S. Another major issue with the Facebook scheme involves sharing your personal information with other Facebook partners across the web. You probably saw a small box about this at the top of your Facebook stream. This is another somewhat confusing change to Facebook and I have opted out of it. I don’t think it is clear what data will be shared and exactly how it will be used. Perhaps I will become more comfortable with a personalized internet and opt-in at some point but for now, I prefer the internet the way it is.

UPDATE: Matt Cutts, a high profile Google employee, just suspended his Facebook account. http://searchengineland.com/matt-cutts-deactivates-facebook-account-40543

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Today’s Facebook Privacy #FAIL

“Who’s Stalking My Profile?” on Facebook Doesn’t Work

Jon Mallin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:07:11 +0000

The Facebook app “Who’s Stalking My Profile?” and similar variants do not actually tell you who viewed your profile, according to The Register. They’re scams intended to line the pockets of the app developers by making the apps go viral. The app developers stand to profit from sharing advertising revenue on their apps’ pages.

Rik Ferguson, a senior security consultant at Trend Micro, explains: “The app itself is designed to look convincing enough, but none of the many ‘Continue’ buttons it offers will activate some under-the-counter profile checking functionality – they will just push you into another Facebook app earning the scammer advertising revenue in the process.” He reports that Facebook is removing the offending apps.

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Google Buzz Tips for Newbies

Jon Mallin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:17:45 +0000

I am having fun with Google Buzz, much more than I ever had with Twitter. It took a couple of weeks for common buzz practices to develop and I thought I’d share some of it with those considering buzzing. Here are some tips for absolute beginners on Buzz…

How do I get many followers?

One of the best methods of attracting followers is to begin following people. Many people will follow back. Another good method is to comment on popular buzzes with insightful remarks. Do some Buzz searches for topics that interest you and comment on relevant buzzes.

One way to lose followers is to import tweets from a twitter account. Many Buzz users find tweet importing annoying.

What can I do to spark conversation?

Ask a question. The most popular buzzes, even those from the large blogs, are those that begin with a question. Also, add a picture or link to the buzz. Buzzes with pictures attract attention. Use bold when asking your question. You can do this by putting a * before and after your question.

Have fun with it!

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Music (Video) Mondays on Google Buzz

Jon Mallin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:53:15 +0000

I’m starting a buzz campaign to bring Music Mondays from Twitter to Google Buzz. For those who unfamiliar with Music Mondays, people simply tweet the music they’ve been listening to lately to generate some Twitter activity and to help spread the news about good recording artists.

Music Mondays make more sense on Buzz than Twitter because you can embed YouTube videos directly into a buzz. Simply put “Music Monday” in your buzzes (hashtags on Buzz are for losers) and share your favorites. Maybe include a brief bit about why you like the song or how you discovered it.

My campaign is, admittedly, off to a very warm reception but a slow start because I only have 260 followers on my personal account and 124 on my blog account. Please consider rebuzzing this post with the buzz this link below or just buzz “Music Mondays are now on Google Buzz. Please post a YouTube video like this one…” To embed a YouTube video, just click on the insert link button in your buzz box and paste a YouTube URL into it.

My buzz tomorrow will be a terrific Beck music video with cool robots in it that I discovered on YouTube earlier today. Follow me on Buzz to see and hear it tomorrow. Click here to follow me.

UPDATE: If you want to search buzz for all Music Monday posts with videos, do the following search: “music monday has:videos”

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Blackberry and Google Buzz Notifications & Gmail Dupe Emails [Workarounds]

Jon Mallin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:26:32 +0000

So, I’m still wielding a Blackberry Tour 9630. I know that’s very 2009 but that aside… I was encountering two significant problems after consolidating my email on the computer into Gmail (I have the enhanced Gmail plugin installed on my ‘berry) and after I started using Google Buzz:

Duplicate emails. Each time I received an email at something@something.com it also ends up in my Gmail inbox. Works great on the computer. However, my consolidated Blackberry Inbox would show two copies of every message except for those sent directly to my Gmail. I considered removing all email addresses from my Blackberry except for the Gmail address but that would prevent me from composing or replying from any address other than Gmail.
Buzz notifications. My Blackberry was going berserk every time a new buzz appeared in my stream. I would receive an email with every comment on that buzz. This happens even though I have a filter in Gmail to auto-archive those emails (instructions here). Not only was this annoying but it was also hogging the memory on my Blackberry.

The “workaround” isn’t too elegant but it does work. Install the standalone Gmail app from Google (http://m.google.com/ on the Blackberry browser). Use that to read your Gmail. You’ll probably want to move it to your home screen. Remove your Gmail address on your ‘berry through the Email Settings icon. Now, you will not receive any Buzz notifications on your ‘berry if you have a buzz filter to auto-archive those emails. Your Gmail inbox will receive every message your Gmail on the PC receives. Admittedly, this can be kind of slow because sometimes Gmail waits up to an hour before POPing email from other accounts. However, your normal consolidated Blackberry Inbox will receive push email from your non-Gmail addresses. And, you can compose and reply from all of your email addresses. Note that your Gmail will not appear in your consolidated Blackberry Inbox.

This is only a partial solution to problem #1 because anything sent to something@something.com will appear in both the Gmail app and the consolidated Blackberry Inbox. Frankly, I tend to ignore my consolidated Blackberry Inbox because I don’t need to respond to my emails immediately. The workaround above is a complete solution to problem #2. Also, the Gmail App is handy to have for other reasons. For example, you can search your entire email archives for old emails.

I hope that the BIS update RIM is promising solves the duplicate email problem but it is unclear when the BIS update will be released. For the Buzz notifications, I wrote to Google to help make them aware of the problem. If the Buzz notifications are skipping the inbox in Gmail, they shouldn’t push to the Blackberry. The most elegant solution would be to allow users to simply turn off the notifications completely.

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Google Buzz: Effects on the Blogosphere and Digital Media

Jon Mallin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:58:03 +0000

Everyone is buzzing about how to use Google Buzz and whether it will succeed. Some are still tweeting about privacy concerns. Everyone wants to know whether Facebook, Twitter and Google Buzz can coexist. In this post, I take a different approach. I begin with the assumption that Google Buzz will succeed and consider what effects that will have on the world of blogging and on more mainstream digital media. I conclude that Google Buzz will have profound effects that significantly differ from effects of any other social networking site that currently exists.

What do I mean by “succeed”? I mean that Google Buzz becomes a useful repository for information sharing that is frequented by many for news, opinions and sometimes everyday chatter.

Google Buzz Differs from Existing Social Networks

If Google Buzz succeeds, then a relentless flow of information will come into Google Buzz making it very sticky. This is very unlike Twitter, which I contend is not a very sticky site at all. Almost all tweets, other than casual banter, have outbound links. This has created a cottage industry in URL shortening. Tweets are essentially headlines that direct people away from Twitter into a different realm, often the blogosphere. While Google Buzz could be used to drive traffic into a different realm, it is much more sticky for a few reasons. First, there’s no character limit on Buzzes. Google Buzz could be a substitute for blogs, particularly simple ones like the Posterous blogs. (This is a topic I mused about before: “Google Buzz could become a Substitute for Blogs if…”). Second, there’s absolutely no start-up cost and it is easy to begin buzzing. You can login and can begin almost immediately. You don’t have to mess with customizing WordPress. Third, unlike Twitter (and Facebook to some extent), Google Buzz has very good support for images and video. Rich content buzzes are quite common. With Twitter, you needed an outbound link to see any rich content at all with the exception of user avatars. Fourth, Google Buzz has a good commenting system (which is likely to be improved) and discussions are easy to follow, unlike Twitter. With Twitter, even if you read a post on a blog and decide to comment, most likely you would do so on the blog and not via Twitter. Google Buzz, on the other hand, is self-contained and comprehensive.

Google Buzz is designed to draw people away from other sites and into Buzz. It’s baked into Gmail which many millions of people use daily. Google’s popular RSS reader also draws people into Google Buzz through prominent links in Reader. Google made apps for phones and cooked in a location sharing sharing feature via Google Maps (a la FourSquare). Picasa is wired into Google Buzz. Every buzz has an email link at the bottom for sharing it. This draws people into Google Buzz, not away from it. In other words, Google Buzz is well integrated with other properties in the Google ecosystem.

If Google Buzz Succeeds and it’s as “Sticky” as I say, then…

First, traffic to blogs will go down as Google Buzz becomes a substitute for blogging. As long as people can locate people with similar interests (and I’m sure there are third party sites mimicking “WeFollow” as I type and Google may roll something out too), affinity groups can stick with Google Buzz. Second, with rebuzzing, sharing via Google Reader and upcoming integration with Google News, sites that simply aggregate news will be irrelevant and unprofitable. Third, if aggregators are “buzzed out,” then what about the fate of publications like Mashable/TechCrunch or old media like the local newspaper? I predict that they will publish more original content and less “mash-ups” or aggregated content. Further, they will be leery of publishing their content to Google Buzz. Instead, they will try to stick to the Twitter model and drive people with outbound links to their websites to generate advertising revenue. Already, we’re seeing Mashable which boasts 2.3 million followers post outbound links as opposed to publishing directly into Google Buzz. This model could succeed if the original content is attractive enough to draw people away from Google Buzz to read it and the person chooses the outbound link over Google Reader.

How does Facebook fit into the picture? Surprise: Facebook wants to become what Google Buzz already is.

If Google Buzz does succeed and the blogosphere contracts, particularly the amateur blogosphere, it will do so where Twitter and Facebook have failed. As I already discussed, Twitter’s model was to aggregate headlines but it has not produced a sticky site. Facebook is a very sticky site but not for the same reasons Google Buzz will become a very sticky site. Facebook is sticky because people want to share their life’s experience with people they know and/or read about friends and family. Major media outlets and significant blogs have not yet gotten much traction on Facebook. People don’t want to pollute their stream of friends’ news with other content (like the backlash against Zynga’s games publishing into streams). Accordingly, I believe Google Buzz is very unlike Facebook… and in a useful sort of way. While theoretically Google Buzz could be used like Facebook, it is better suited as a sticky news and opinion social network of sorts. This is one of Facebook’s goals but Google actually has a significant head start because of its integration with other Google properties. This runs absolutely counter to what you read elsewhere that Google Buzz is a startup challenging a 400 million strong Facebook. I contend that Google is today buzzing with what Facebook wants to become. (Perhaps I just answered the question of whether Facebook and Google Buzz can coexist. Yes, Facebook for friends and family and Google Buzz for news-worthy content and opinions.)

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Jon Mallin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 01:48:43 +0000

If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon and played around on Google Buzz, you haven’t missed much. I’ll tell you what’s been going on the past few days. It seems like almost all of the buzz is about Buzz. This isn’t exactly a bad thing, however; Google employees have been working around the clock to respond to user feedback with improvements, according to the Official Gmail blog. Many of the improvements relate to online privacy and the auto-follow feature (which is now an auto-suggest feature).

Some buzzers are reposting news articles and other material that comes to them by RSS via Google Reader. The integration among many different Google properties is truly amazing. In addition to Google Reader integration, there’s Google Maps for viewing local buzz, Google Profiles for sharing contact information (you can verify email addresses and even your name, similar to what some high profile people did on Twitter) and a reportedly well-designed app for Android.

There’s plenty of support among tech blogs for Google Buzz. Tech Crunch rolled out a “Buzz This” button and Mashable followed soon thereafter. Some blogs posted DIY instructions for Buzz This buttons. Pete Cashmore, CEO of Mashable, has had some significant interactions with readers. Presently, he is soliciting ideas for Mashable articles.

I haven’t seen much in the way of celebrities or news outlets using or promoting Google Buzz. Ashton Kutcher, where are you? Are you going to challenge CNN in this new forum?

If you have ideas for improving Google Buzz, you can submit them here: http://mail.google.com/support/bin/request.py?contact_type=buzz … but let’s hope the Buzz team gets some sleep and enjoys the Olympics like the rest of us.

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Jon Mallin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:53:14 +0000

I finally figured out hot to send a Google Buzz from the Blackberry by tinkering with URLs and using the BOLT! browser by Bitstream. Simple two step instructions:

1. Download the free BOLT! Browser (if you don’t have it already)

Instructions here:

http://tbottle.com/tb/2009/12/07/bitstreams-bolt-free-blackberry-browser-upgraded-to-v-1-6/

2. Point BOLT! to:

https://m.google.com/app/buzz?force=1#~buzz:view=me

You may be required to login to Google services before Buzz loads but this works…

Voila!

Incidentally, if you click on the link above from your desktop instead of your Blackberry, you can view Buzz with collapsible comments.

Please follow me on Google Buzz: http://bit.ly/9z4c2M (personal) & http://bit.ly/asucfb (blog)

UPDATE: For a complete rundown of mobile browsers and their compatibility with the Buzz link above, visit WAP Review by Dennis Bournique.

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Jon Mallin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 06:16:00 +0000

I believe that Google Buzz is primarily aimed at attracting Twitter content right now, not Facebook content. This is a follow up post to the video I recently posted.

If you haven’t watched the video, I’ll sum it up. Google’s core strength is the search business. Google wants to be branded indelibly as the map for the internet. (It didn’t pick the Parisian Love Superbowl advertisement by accident.) Up until now, Google crawled the web to map it. The map was periodically (but not continually) updated. Some sites refreshed daily, some hourly and some nearly instantaneously. Now, more and more, consumers are looking for instantaneous news and communication. Google Buzz was created primarily to bring content to Google instead of the present model of crawling the wires to update Google’s map of the web.

The Twitter Argument

If you want breaking news, you can find it on Twitter and find it faster than anywhere else because all major news outlets bring content to Twitter. Twitter is the king of real-time news. Twitter doesn’t crawl for anything. Google got very lucky recently when it inked a non-exclusive deal to index Twitter. (Microsoft did too.) Although little is known about the contract, the rumor is that Twitter received a combined $25 million for the indexing deals (which, in turn, put Twitter in the black for 2009). This is a threat to Google for a variety of reasons. First, the contract may not be renewed or could go exclusively to Microsoft in the future. Also, the entire Twitter company could fall into unfriendly hands. Google does not like relying on any company that may not commit itself to “openness.” Second, Google probably paid more for the Twitter contract than it cost Google to build its own Twitter-like service, Google Buzz. Third, Google Buzz is virtually guaranteed to be more successful than Twitter due to the tie-in with Gmail which has an installed active user-base of approximately 174 million regular users.

Why Facebook Isn’t a Serious Threat Yet

Facebook has yet to challenge Google’s model of mapping the web. While you can do rudimentary web searches through Facebook, nobody does. Facebook is not populated with the same real-time news content as Twitter. This trend is shifting with the growing number of fan pages and professional accounts but up until now Facebook was simply a place to crack a joke to a large crowd, post pictures of kids or invite people to a party.

HOWEVER, Facebook could easily become a serious threat. It is among the most sticky of all websites. It has an installed user-base of over 400 million users. If it made a serious push to have meaningful content come to Facebook (news outlets, blogs, etc.), it could challenge Google’s efforts to be the best map of the internet perpetually.

Predictions

Twitter will get wiped off the map by Google Buzz. It may continue to exist in a MySpace-like state. Some lesser player could buy it or it might have a weak IPO. The real fight will be Google vs. Facebook but that’s on the horizon and will only occur if Facebook makes a meaningful effort to map the web. The scariest scenario for Google would be Microsoft and Facebook uniting forces. Bing plus Facebook could mount a meaningful long-term challenge to Google. Keep in mind that Microsoft already has a small piece of Facebook. So, Google isn’t simply looking for a piece of the social networking business. It is also playing defense to keep its dominance in mapping the world’s information.

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Jon Mallin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:37:58 +0000

In the YouTube video below Kevin Rose explains why he believes Google created Buzz. The video is enlightening and thought provoking.

[via YouTube]

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Jon Mallin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:53:42 +0000

Not much to say about this other than BlackBerryRocks.Com just posted the links. See the post here: http://bit.ly/9pGQjl. Use the Desktop Manager install.

P.S. Can’t handle multiple accounts. P.P.S. WTF? RIM’s finally getting around to releasing a Twitter app when Twitter is about to be owned by Google Buzz? 9 million buzzes in 2 days.

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Jon Mallin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:05:23 +0000

So, I’m digging buzz but I offered some constructive criticism yesterday. Well, I’m dishing up more today.

I believe that many present day blogs can be replaced with Buzzes. Because there is no character limit for a Buzz, I could simply Buzz instead of futzing with WordPress (which entails updating plugins, dealing with spammer comments, security issues, backing up and upgrading WordPress from time to time). The biggest obstacles to Buzz replacing the present day blog are:

1. Plain Looking Content — Solution: Gmail Interface. Maybe add an advanced tab to the Buzz input that would allow buzzers (buzzards?) to change text and background colors. Something akin to the Gmail interface would work well. I envision this being entirely optional.

2. Inability to Monetize a Buzz — Solution: Adsense for Buzz. As I see it, there is no way for someone who writes a buzz to monetize it right now unless you draw users away from the Buzz ecosystem and into a blog or other site. Google should allow buzzers to opt-in for Google Adsense. If someone takes the time to write a thoughtful, lengthy buzz that attracts readers and advertising clicks, share the wealth in the same fashion you share it with bloggers. This would speed the adoption of Buzz by bloggers and make the site more sticky with fewer out-bound links. Accordingly, Adsense for Buzz could improve Google’s bottom line.

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Jon Mallin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:45:13 +0000

Here I gripe about Google Buzz…

I believe that Google Buzz has a lot of potential and I’m digging it. However, it has some kinks that need to be worked out:

Notifications should skip the Gmail inbox by default. We can see the notifications in the left-hand pane and don’t need to intermingle buzz with email. Filters can be used to route the buzz to archives and skip the inbox (instructions courtesy of LifeHacker at http://goo.gl/3Iyt) but it would make more sense to have a toggle whether the user wants buzz in the inbox.
Kudos to Google for making responses to buzzes (which work like comments on a blog) editable. However, it would be really nifty if the buzz responses were (a) nested and (b) could be hidden. Many popular buzzes have so many comments that it’s almost impossible to follow the conversation. The clutter on the page is overwhelming too.
The “Mute” button doesn’t work. Be warned: If you mute a buzz you commented on, then new replies will all show up in your new buzz count. Because the mute button doesn’t work, long discussions like the ones Mashable started are to be avoided.
The “Mute” button is dangerously close to the “Unfollow” button.
Let us harvest our Facebook friends list and add them in buzz. While I appreciate the efforts to avoid mentioning Facebook anywhere and not link to it, the ability to draw in our existing social networks would be helpful. Pulling in Twitter followers simply doesn’t cut it for many of us.

I’m actually kind of digging buzz but the issues I identified above need to be addressed ( at least 1 through 4) or this ship won’t sail.

P.S. Mini-Gripe: Couldn’t Google add some more background/color themes to Gmail? The existing ones get mighty boring.

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