Google's Buzz

I'm a huge fan of Google, especially Gmail (my e-mail is always open on my laptop and I have the mobile application on my Blackberry) so when Google's Buzz came out I was surprised I didn't know how it worked. Heck, I still don't know how to use it really, plus it always seems daunting to figure out a new feature or site. But after reading this article on NYTimes.com I wasn't sure I was ready to take advantage of the convenience of Buzz. Since my e-mail is always open, it seems more efficient to use Buzz than say Twitter, but I don't think I could stop Tweeting! So I was actually surprised in reading this article, about all the confusion and problems Buzz has encountered. Of course, I understand most new technology always has snags and hiccups which need to be smoothed out.

So here are a few things the article has to say about Buzz (good and bad):

-You need a Gmail account to use Buzz
-You're automatically signed up to follow the people you communicate with most often on Gmail or Google Chat
-You can forward messages by e-mail, replies and comments remain attached as an ongoing conversation
-Facebook, Flickr, Picasa and YouTube accounts can be linked to your Buzz posting
-You can link your Twitter account to Buzz, but only your Twitter posts show up on Buzz, not vice-versa
-Buzz attempts to organize and sort through the conversations by automatically promoting or hiding messages according to what it thinks you find useful.
-Messages Google thinks aren’t that interesting get dumped at the bottom of the page, collapsed into tabs.
-You can use Buzz from an iPhone or Android phone, not regular cellphones

The article ends with: "Buzz probably won’t make much of a dent in Facebook or Twitter or FriendFeed. But because it’s nicely integrated with Gmail and Google chat, because it has powerful and flexible features and because millions of Gmail members can get in with a single click, Buzz will have its own following. In other words, its complex design is a challenge that Google will have to overcome — but it’s not enough to be a Buzzkill."

So what do you think of Google's Buzz? Have you tried it? Do you like it, dislike it or have any other comments? Share them with us!