It seems the Twitterati are up in arms because Google went out and created something that didn't follow their "rules". Buzz was introduced this week with little fanfare and clearly in Beta mode, but that did not stop many folks on Twitter (several who I respect dearly) from dismissing it out of hand after one quick look.
Funny. I remember signing up for Twitter in December of 2007 and many people laughing at me for the following 24 months because Twitter was:
- Noisy
- Difficult to follow
- Intrusive
- Pointless
- Had an ugly UI
Perhaps it is because I'm in technology, but I feel that innovation does not simply happen in a vacuum. Great products grow when they are used and improved throughout their life. In fact many products completely shift in their original mission and find a new home doing something completely different.
Did it ever occur to the Twits out there that perhaps Buzz wasn't meant for them. Perhaps Buzz is an extension of Gmail for people who don't want to be on Twitter? That when combined with improvements to Wave, Buzz will provide a more complete way of communicating with the people you actually want to talk with on a daily basis? Are people just afraid because they don't want to try something else after finally succumbing to Twitter? Or are we just in a time when it is easier to rip something down than help build it up?
The point is, take a breath before you start hating on Buzz and rather than typing #epicfail in your 140 characters, try and produce some feedback that might help a company develop a product you will want to use. That is what being a part of a community is all about.
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