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A little more than a week ago, Google launched Buzz. Designed to be a social media tool that competes with the likes of Twitter and Facebook (because Google doesn't want to feel left out), it allows users to update their status and share it with others in their network.
Ho-hum ... another social media tool. Many of you know I was the anti-Facebook and anti-Twit poster child for quite some time. Now I dabble in both.
Facebook allows me to keep in touch with family and a few selected friends without completely sharing with them ... if-you-know-what-I-mean.
Twitter? It's just mindless chatter for me - a casual conversation with 100 or so "close" friends.
Google Buzz? Privacy FAIL!
When I joined Facebook and Twitter, *I* set up my network. I was able to pick and choose who I wanted to allow to see my updates and if I wanted to see someone elses updates, they were notified and able to accept or decline my invitation.
Google Buzz got a bit egotistical and decided that my contact list should be my network - by default. Not only did Buzz not ask for my permission to share my contacts with my entire network, but Buzz is an automatic tool and shares my contacts whether I am using Buzz or not ... I learned that the hard way.
I looked at Buzz when itbombarded first showed up in my inbox. I decided to see what it was all about before calling it evil names. Before I knew it, my inbox was cluttered with Buzz updates rather than emails. Fortunately, Dr. Anonymous posted a Twitter update with instructions on how to turn the damn thing off. Google did NOT make it easy.
Here I was, thinking I was Buzz free when I got an email from Hubman. He wanted to let me know that my Google profile - including my last name - was still showing up in Buzz. What?? You've got to be kidding me! He wasn't, and trying to figure out just which setting I needed to change in order to protect my privacy was akin to building a Ferris wheel with K'nex (if you've never attempted that feat, don't)!
Cnet did a great job putting together a tutorial on how to fully disable Buzz, but the fact that there needs to be a tutorial on how to disable Buzz says a lot about the tool ... like why I won't be using it.
Are you Buzzing?
A little more than a week ago, Google launched Buzz. Designed to be a social media tool that competes with the likes of Twitter and Facebook (because Google doesn't want to feel left out), it allows users to update their status and share it with others in their network.Ho-hum ... another social media tool. Many of you know I was the anti-Facebook and anti-Twit poster child for quite some time. Now I dabble in both.
Facebook allows me to keep in touch with family and a few selected friends without completely sharing with them ... if-you-know-what-I-mean.
Twitter? It's just mindless chatter for me - a casual conversation with 100 or so "close" friends.
Google Buzz? Privacy FAIL!
When I joined Facebook and Twitter, *I* set up my network. I was able to pick and choose who I wanted to allow to see my updates and if I wanted to see someone elses updates, they were notified and able to accept or decline my invitation.
Google Buzz got a bit egotistical and decided that my contact list should be my network - by default. Not only did Buzz not ask for my permission to share my contacts with my entire network, but Buzz is an automatic tool and shares my contacts whether I am using Buzz or not ... I learned that the hard way.
I looked at Buzz when it
Here I was, thinking I was Buzz free when I got an email from Hubman. He wanted to let me know that my Google profile - including my last name - was still showing up in Buzz. What?? You've got to be kidding me! He wasn't, and trying to figure out just which setting I needed to change in order to protect my privacy was akin to building a Ferris wheel with K'nex (if you've never attempted that feat, don't)!
Cnet did a great job putting together a tutorial on how to fully disable Buzz, but the fact that there needs to be a tutorial on how to disable Buzz says a lot about the tool ... like why I won't be using it.
Are you Buzzing?
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21 comments:
I guess I was one of the lucky (?) ones in that I've never used Gmail. Hopefully Buzz will go the way of Wave...waving goodbye!
With my luck, it will replace all other forms of social media and I'll be forced into an evil Gmail account. Blech.
After I saw what happened with you, I turned off Buzz. I didn't realize that it's not that simple (though I should have known...). Thanks for the link to the Cnet article!
I don't use Gmail so I might the only person alive who doesn't know about this Buzz stuff. I have enough networking going on. Facebook satisfies me completely.
I absolutely agree -- it's pushy and annoying. Fortunately, my Gmail is only open to a few people (Yahoo is still my main channel), so I don't mind "buzzing" with them.
My main objection to this is how quickly it came up, and out of nowhere. One day you're just Gmailing and Google Readering as usual and the next, you've got this extra connection and have to figure out whether you want it and if not, how to fix it. DOESN'T GOOGLE REALIZE HOW BUSY WE ARE? Seriously! And remember when Gmail was so bloody exclusive you had to wait for an invitation? That might not be a bad way to handle this. People who want to Buzz can get used to the way it works, then help their friends figure it out when they invite someone. That would be REAL social networking.
Also -- on Google Reader you can already share you stories. So isn't Buzz kind of redundant for that?
Bleah.
The Burl, I actually like gmail, but use it exclusively with my blog ... which poses some privacy issues.
Hubman, when you alerted me to the profile issue I had already turned Buzz off so immediately realized I was in for some serious work.
Karen, in this case ignorance really is bliss!
Volly, I think the required interface with gmail is the downfall of Buzz, and any time anyone *forces* me to use their platform, I run ... FAST!
I use gmail, but I've never set up a Google Profile, so I don't know if I show up anywhere in anyone's Buzz or not. But, I don't like it. There are people who are in my gmail contact list who might not want their email broadcast to everyone. I can't believe Google didn't think of that. I mean, they claim to be a company full of thousands of geniuses. ;-)
I never use gmail and like Karen, I've never heard of it. Eh. I don't mind Facebook so much, but I still prefer just picking up the phone and talking to people if I feel like it. I'm crazy that way. Cheers Dana!!
I was Buzzing...I got off however.
I've only posted one thing on Buzz. I don't quite get it, so I may just turn it off.
Now I'm glad I avoided the Buzz. do use gmail but don't think I set up a profile (now I need to go double check).
I use Facebook too, but that seems to be more for family and old high school friends. Oh - does anyone know how to shut off the &^%& Farmville updates? That is some annoying stuff.
Bur seriousy, I just don't have the time to babysit all these social sites. Starting to think I'd be better off doing the potato bug and avoiding them all!
i had never heard of The Buzz. I just use a MySpace account. I signed up for Facebook a couple of years ago but I haven't done anything with it since.
I did a gmail account and wish I never did...I am not on that Buzz...I never got any email about it ..and am googled out..even thinking of changing my web domain to get further away from them
I am not Buzzing.
Jay, that's where I was with it - there were people in my contact list whose privacy would be at risk had I buzzed.
Matt-Man, I suppose you use one of those phones with a cord on it too!
Joker_SATX, I usually get off when I buzz, but that wasn't what this post was about *grin*
Evil Twin's Wife, I vote we all boycott Buzz!
The Phool, on the Farmville issue, if you hover on the right side of an update you'll see a "HIDE" option. It will let you hide all updates of that application.
Howard Bagby, MySpace?? Is that still around?? *smile*
You have to remember I am one of those cavemen who doesn't even own a cell phone. You young whippersnappers and your fancy doodads. (shakes head.)
First I've heard of it. Thanks for the heads up. It's pretty amazing they didn't put protocols in place to prevent all that info being shared without permission.
<---doesn't have the first clue.
I guess that turns out to be a good thing this time! :)
Buzz sucks and they really have no damn right to enable this product without your permission. They did this to me as well and I had to go in and disable buzz from my gmail accounts. Thanks for the link.
Love Gmail...HATE Buzz. I turned that off the minute I realized it was up and running. I noticed immed the things you pointed out. It felt like a HUGE invasion of my privacy. I already have 'issues' from my previous marriage, I don't *like* feeling as if my privacy or email is being compromised!
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