Rant: Google, Stop Killing Things - Part 2: Google Buzz
A surprisingly large number of my friends in high school used Google Buzz. It had a rocky start, but once we got used to it we realized it was a much more convenient and versatile social platform than Facebook. Even just the fact that you could attach multiple photos from a given link was a great improvement. Not to mention the convenience of having it integrated right into Gmail. Fast forward to the end of 2011. Google+ was still in an invite-only adults-only test phase, but Google decided that was a good time to kill Buzz. No migrating posts from Buzz to G+; no giving loyal Buzz users access to G+; the Buzz tab in Gmail just...disappeared. Why could Buzz not cleanly merge into G+? The posts looked identical on my profile. A Buzz “Like” is basically the equivalent of a +1. Given that someone was able to write a program that used Buzz and Facebook's APIs to make Facebook comments appear on Buzz and Buzz comments appear on Facebook, I am certain someone in Google could have been smart enough to figure out how to import Buzz posts into G+.
But no, one day we woke up and Buzz was just gone. And what did my Buzz loving friends realize? Why, they realized that from before Buzz was given to them and after it was taken away, Facebook had reliably stuck around. It is no wonder I cannot get those friends to leave FB for G+. Heck, with all the good Google products that get killed, I am wondering if I should start running my own e-mail server in case they announce Gmail going down. After all, there are even more alternatives for Gmail users than for Wave and Reader users combined!
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