Microsoft and Yahoo Say Google Buzz is Old Hat
With all the headlines Google Buzz is creating, Microsoft just had to get in on the action. Soon after the service was launched, Microsoft released a statement slating Google's latest foray into the social networking scene.
"Busy people don’t want another social network, what they want is the convenience of aggregation. We’ve done that. Hotmail customers have benefited from Microsoft working with Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and 75 other partners since 2008.”
It's true that Hotmail offers users a very similar service, allowing them to share content from Facebook, Flickr and more, but it seems Microsoft more has a problem with how Google is marketing it than anything else.
Take away all of the social networking buzz words (pardon the pun) from Google's announcement, and it's basically the same product Hotmail users have been using for a long time. So is Microsoft just mad that they didn't make a bigger deal of their Hotmail sharing-stream when it launched, or do they genuinely think Google is on the wrong track?
Yahoo! is also doing some serious PR work, letting everyone know that Yahoo! Updates has been live for more than a year. Essentially offering the same service, Yahoo! offers more than 200 third-party sites that feed into Yahoo! Updates – like Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, Yelp and Yahoo! Buzz – allowing people to see and share when they’ve uploaded photos, changed their status, "buzzed up" a news story or posted a new restaurant review.
What do you think? Is this the green-eyed monster rearing its ugly head or is Microsoft just doing "we did it first!" damage control? It's pretty clear Yahoo! is doing the latter but what say you regarding Redmond? Let us know in the comments below.
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Microsoft might not always be on the right track themselves but they got this one right:
Thanks but no thanks Google Buzz.
And what if we don't want to have separate accounts for everything? What if we wanted one Google account for everything.... I wouldn't mind that. No offense, but Hotmail is so 1999.
If you're using gmail anyway..Then Google Buzz is ofcourse a bonus...
As simple as that
I'll give it a try. I'm satisfied with Facebook, as annoying as it may at times be. But hell, if Google can deliver a better product, I'll switch.
Probaly just a pr overload.
I think MS and Yahoo kind of missed the point here. Yeah, people don't want another social networking account, but with the way Google has set it up, you're not really getting another account, it's just a twitter like feature inside Gmail.
There are a couple people I wouldn't mind following on twitter, but the problem is that I'd have to set up a twitter account to do it. If they were using Google Buzz rather than twitter, it's already set up for me.
Aggregation is nice, but I'd much prefer to have access to as much as I can through a single account (provided the single account can offer what I want.)
I barely trust Google with my web searches, never mind aspects of my social life. No thanks Google. I also genuinely think Microsoft's comment is right on the money, I fail to see what Google are offering that would take people away from better services that have existed for years.
Who did what first aside, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and teh likes all have such hudge security risks. The average user easily has their accounts compromised or download viruses. The problem now with what google is doing, is simply another way for these problems to spread, only this time when they take your account info, they instantly have access to your e-mail and anything in your e-mail. I want my e-mail seperate and secured away from any of these sites.
I think Google isn't (initially, anyway) targeting current twitterers (woah), but hoping the rest of us who already have a google account will give it a shot since it doesn't require going as far out of our way. Of course, get base users...and watch it grow.
I'm still weary. My dog had a myspace (so I could message people when needed), but I've managed to avoid facebook and twitter.
I think that I don't really care. I don't use Twitter or the MSN network socializing. I have my email and very rarely use facebook. I wish I could get rid of facebook!
Since when was facebook not over-populated with people with too much time on their hands?
I'll pop one maybe once a day and see endless posts by some people.
The hell will all of your life's as with M$, Google and Yahoo!
I don't use Facecrap,pootter, or myshit. Email works. and if i havn't talked to you since high school, why would i want to talk you now? JMO
Google Buzz - Too little, too late.
I wish I could get rid of facebook!
That makes the two of us
Sony made high end game consoles before you did Microsoft. That didn't stop you from making x-box though, now did it? I mean, why would we want something that has already been out for years before yours, and which is clearly better and more reliable in every aspect? You even want us to PAY for your service when Sony gives it out for free!
That makes the two of us
Three. Same with twitter...I don't care what the hell your up to. I don't care what you just ate, or did in the bathroom. I mean, really? C'mon.
I dunno. Google is good with their search engine, i love it, but they should stop monopolizing everything. I mean, every company ought to do that, but Google is trying to compete with those services/software that are free! Google, u dun own eveeerything!!
I just really hope there is new social network that make Facebook is like the old Friendster.
I've stayed far from Facebook and tweeter because they sound like version of what existed before. Tweeter -> looged chats. Facebook -> ... well, the idea is simple but if you think about it is pretty revolutionary. But I was and am turned off from Facebook because many people say it is hard to manage who sees what. That is why I like Google Wave so much, because you get to post content, and you know exactly who is looking at it. But now the Buzz, it just looks like a redundant Wave product. But like many people, I'll use the Buzz if it comes in handy since I already have a Gmail account.
I have both hotmail and gmail accounts and I never knew that hotmail had such features, so yes I think they are pissed with themselves for not marketing their product better
I have both hotmail and gmail accounts and I never knew that hotmail had such features, so yes I think they are pissed with themselves for not marketing their product better