I don’t have a strong opinion yet about the new Google platform called Buzz, although it is better than Google Wave, as far as I am concerned. Buzz is an Twitter-like tool that is integrated into your gmail account, allowing people in your connections to share thoughts, links and more (including elements from Google Reader).
There is also a security issue brought up at a blog site, which noted that since the Buzz conversations are defaulted to “public,” then all of one’s contacts can also be seen by the public. (Read the article and see what you think. I know some folks have now turned off Buzz as they wait for Google to make a fix.)
But, so far, I have been following some interesting conversations among very smart people in my Buzz and I like that it sits right there in my email, and Buzz threads even show up in my inbox, so I can easily keep track of the conversations. Will it replace Twitter? Seems unlikely, but you never know and we should never count Google out of any game.
Some are wondering about the possibilities of Buzz for the classroom. It would require kids to have gmail accounts and it could be a way for encouraging conversations and sharing of resources. But I would worry about oversight, since the teacher would not have much control over the Buzzing. And, who wants to say in the hallway, “I let my kids get buzzed today?”
Peace (in the buzz),
Kevin