Google Buzz for Contract Professionals
Did you hear the news? Google just released Buzz. So how does it impact you as a contract professional? Well, read on and find out.
Perks of Buzz
- Like Status Updates, but not: Status updates on Facebook tell people what you’re doing, and then let people comment on them. But Facebook isn’t meant for business purposes (at least for most people). Buzz could cross that line. A lot of people (including me) already use Gmail for contracts-related activities when not at work. This could allow for professional-quality conversations to be held on Buzz. Twitter already allows this, but Buzz’s ability to comment on updates makes it easier to follow conversations on Buzz than on Twitter. This is a definite advantage for Buzz.
- Easy Implementation: Since Gmail already has a huge user base and Buzz is integrated with Gmail, Buzz is very easy to implement. (It took me just two or three clicks).
- Bring Twitter-ness to the Masses: People make fun of Twitter for stupid comments and inane conversations, but most of them have never tried it. Because Buzz is integrated with Gmail, many of those people will try Buzz. Many of their tunes will immediately change (granted through that Buzz is a bit different from Twitter).
- Small Business Galore: For the small teams in the contracting field, Buzz could be a real treat. You won’t have to get your team to adopt Twitter because Buzz will fill that void easily while allowing for a small-learning curve. You could quickly reap the advantages of increased collaboration and improved communication.
Will Buzz Succeed?
Well, this all depends on how you define success. If the purpose of Buzz is to pave the way for Wave, then yes, it should be a great success. Here’s a great conversation with bits of knowledge about Buzz relating to Wave. (And yes, this convo was found on Buzz).
John Bordeaux – Is this wave 2.0?9:13 am
Stephen Ressler – at least its integrated with email..i think thats key9:20 am
Ari Herzog – Not Wave 2.0, but pre-Wave. Think Wave as the future and Buzz as the present. This is incorporated into gmail and every user will get a prompt to add it to their inbox.9:30 am
John Bordeaux – Ah! The Wave training wheels everyone has been asking for…9:35 am
Now if the purpose of Buzz is to challenge Twitter and Facebook for social media dominance, well, that’s a tough call, and frankly, I just don’t know. The success of Buzz will depend on what Google wants to do with it.
(Also, here’s a video for learning about Buzz).
Do you think Google Buzz sucks and/or is useless? Or is it the greatest thing ever? Let me know.
