Friday, March 26, 2010

Buzz about Buzz

Most of us have already been addicted to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter. Now we have one more distraction called as google buzz. Is its just another of many such applications or is it really adding value to users. Do we really need one more such application
Why did Google release it even before it was ready in market?
It is known that Google still wants to buy Twitter, and putting Buzz into Gmail might be enough of a threat to bring Twitter back on negotiations. Buzz did not launch in some Google Labs backwater. It is placed front and center in Gmail. Buzz is Google’s strongest effort yet to enter the stream. If Buzz can gain traction it would certainly help Google’s negotiating position with Twitter.
Independent of any pressure it may place on Twitter, Google needs to have its own realtime micro-messaging communications system. This system according to many is just a more efficient way to communicate than email for many types of messages so it makes sense to add it as a layer to Gmail: broadcast your public messages via Buzz, and keep private ones on email or chat, all from the same place.
The other reason Google needed to establish its own social stream pronto is that links passed through social sharing are beginning to rival search as a primary driver of traffic for many sites. Part of Google’s prowess stems from the fact that it is the largest referrer of traffic to many other Websites. It doesn’t want to lose that status to social sharing streams such as Facebook or Twitter. Already, Buzz is helping to boost sharing through Google Reader. While Google doesn’t benefit directly from that traffic (yet), simply knowing what links people are sharing and clicking on is valuable data which can help it improve its search results.

It's now been just a few weeks now since Google launched its Google Buzz social-sharing service and started rolling it out to Gmail users. Much of the coverage so far has not been very streamlined . It had a major privacy issue: the initial list of people you auto follow on Buzz is based on who you talk with most often in Gmail, and that list is public unless you choose to make it private.
To its credit, Google responded to complaints: It's made changes in Buzz to make it more obvious what information the service is making public, and to help you crank up the privacy settings. Users thought their contacts were being made public without their knowledge (in particular the lists of people they follow, and the people following them). They have resolved this issue
Google's explanation of the post-release changes points out that millions of people are now using Buzz...and maybe that's part of the issue. Rather than let a sizable pool of testers outside of Google try the service out before opening up the floodgates, it's gone straight to a full-blown launch. Sounds like the company didn't expect some of the confusion that's happening.
Highpoint of Buzz is that it has one of the nicest photo-album viewers .
Buzz lets users include thumbnails when sharing web links, making them more graphic and attractive (according to Google). One way in which Google differentiates its service from Twitter is that Google Buzz also lets users attach various degrees of access to posts, from completely public, to limited to hand-picked friends.
Quite fun is the Buzz map, which lets you see who is Buzzing in your neighbourhood - (albeit with security risks entailed). This is a good way of finding fellow Buzzers in your area.

People may not Twitter and Facebook anytime soon, but Buzz is full of potential and it can become the third major service of this sort. Given Google's history with social stuff, that's impressive in itself.
But multiple aspects of Buzz in its current form are frustrating. And quite frequently, the service leaves user confused.
Consider the following points:
If you're on a PC or Mac, Buzz is a feature within Gmail and therefore requires that you be a Gmail user to use all its features. But if you're on a mobile phone, it's a separate service, not a Gmail feature. Odd!
* Even in a desktop browser, the Google Public Profiles that are part of the privacy concerns over Buzz don't live in Buzz. Since the Profiles provide personal info that goes beyond Buzz-specific stuff. It is still confusing and ungainly -- if you're in Buzz and want to figure out who somebody is, you'll probably have to click out of Buzz and into his or her Profile...and then back into Buzz.
* There is a yellow strip alongside the left-hand side of Buzz posts for 24 hours which is not explained. One has to figure out that the posts to its right are new since the last time user checked Buzz.
Buzz-in-your-Gmail-inbox feature is also confusing. When someone comments on user’s posts, user gets a thread in his inbox, but it starts with a message that looks like it's coming from user himself, listing his own post . It's especially unhelpful when I'm looking at the message in his own iPhone's inbox, since the subject line is the pointless "Buzz from XYZ," and I have to open the message to see what message is. User can't figure out which post someone has commented on.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Vacation to Mama's (Uncle) Place

Summer vacations are round a corner with a very small business of annual exams to care of. With IPL as distraction all school going readers and mainly their parents will have tough time to chose between studies and watching people like yusuf pathan going beserk with six of very ball faced. Its a difficult choice for me as well. Most of us have made plans for vacations. Some must have planned at exotic foreign or domestic locations. Some must have planned for beaten domestic/abroad tracks. Some will plan after series of entrance exams. But i am sure there will be a plan. But amidst this holiday galore and economic freedom to achieve that, have we lost upon an institution called as "Mamacha gaon". Till say about Mid to late eighties (or say liberalization) most of my friends had single agenda to run across to relative's place : be it near or inside pune or be it out of town. Famous songs have been written to depict that excitement.
Its was mostly for a week or (in some cases month) that we use to stay at relatives place. Most of older families never lacked in numbers. We had cousins pouring in at same time and used to have gala time. My own uncle and grand parents used to stay in Dombivali. We children in Pune had great fascination for Mumbai and its suburbs. Reasons: Different life style, local trains , crowd, famous landmarks, food, and most importantly cricket (to play, watch on TV and discuss). Dombivali is a unique concotion: Open gutters, haphazard buildings, mosquitoes, climate ; seemingly not so good place. But due to people there, fun they used to have, it created a unique place. We have some great memories of my own 'Mama's Gaon'. we used to count our days before going to this place.
Have we lost out on this institution. Some people may not agree. But many will i suppose.
There can be many reasons.
Increase in Economic Power: Only way of bringing about change as expected during vacations, was to travel to place where there was no need to spend on hotels and food. Thus public transport was only mode. With high disposable incomes as a result of economy this constraint was removed. With international and domestic arirfares going south it became more fashionable to travel to holiday locations.
Nuclear families: With lack in relations either resulting out of less siblings and more complicated intra family relations, it became difficult to justify 3-4 guests for whole long duration.
Advent of private transport and better roads : With larger number of families having access to Cars, travelling to mumbai /konkan/western maharashtra became matter of hrs , so need to stay was removed from any vacation plans.
Alternate modes of occupation: Vacation camps, interest groups eat a major pie of vacations. I see some kids getting busier in vacations than during academic year. Its out of peer pressure or out of parental pressure for kids to excel in everything.
US migration: Atleast one member of a family has migrated to US . These people holiday mainly in December.
Reasons can be numerous, but i am sure, like many institutions in Society, this institution is on decline. Its worthwhile to revive this. There are many wonderful memories there.
Is anyone planning vacation to his or here Mamache gaon. Do comment.