D'Amore's Pizza Connection on Westwood (map)
Just in case you haven't heard Google launched a new social networking tool this week and unlike some of their other launches this one got an instant jump start as every Gmail user is more or less was instantly made part of the new tool called Google Buzz.
While a jump start of 150 million users might be significant, the real interesting thing about Buzz might be that it will seamlessly bring untold numbers of users into the world of social media almost automatically. This new tool combines elements of Twitter, Yammer, Foursquare, Yelp, and other social sites in a service which for most Gmail users appear as readily as their email already does.
Networking through social media sites has been, up to now, limited to those who opted into the conversation and while I would argue many who have dipped a toe in via Facebook or Twitter have found value and stayed some have not simply because of the limited amount of their social circle present in the tools. After all this really is still about content (content which is of interest to your friends, by your friends and about your friends) and if the content is not there or not interesting attrition is inevitable.
MG Sieglerat of Tech Crunch wrote this excellent overview of Buzz and the issues at hand, points out that while the tool is quick to take in feeds from many other services, much like friendfeed, for the second this is a one way street and there is no ability at present to share Buzz content with any other social tools.
Buzz has also quickly raised an issue in the way that it practically instantly connects you with anyone you might have exchange emails with who also is either a Gmail user or has a Google profile (for use with google docs for example) tied to an email address in your Gmail contacts. This obviously raises privacy concerns and those with one set of friends who you would rather not know about certain other friends might want step with care into the world that is Buzz.
Google also launched Buzz on it mobile HTML5 platform which along with the rest of the Google application (voice, location, talk, calendar, reader, photos, tasks, news, etc) makes for a very powerful integrated tool that is platform agnostic. I have mentioned before the host of location based applications like foursquare, gowalla, yelp and brightkite that are leveraging where you are, where your friends are and what is around you into some very interesting tools. Of course it goes almost without saying that Buzz mobile allows you to update where you are and to discover friends and others that might be around you.
Overall Buzz has seems to be being well received by those who are frequent users of these tools but the real question is how will the untold numbers of people who were not inclined to try social networking going to respond as they find themselves drawn into this tool and will the presence of these new, if reluctant and un-intentioned, additions to social content creation take social media to a new level?
Join us as we explore the impact of Buzz and the place of social media in our social and business lives.
As always, there is no better way to meet and connect with other executives then over dinner and conversation. $21 in advance via PayPal or $25 at the event gets you a full dinner, drink and the best networking around.
Refunds are not offered for this Meetup.