What is Google Buzz?
Google Buzz was a social networking and messaging platform launched by Google in 2010. It was integrated into the company's Gmail webmail service, with the stated goal of helping users communicate more efficiently.
Some key features of Buzz included:
- Integration with Gmail - Users could access Buzz directly from within Gmail
- Status updates - Similar to other social networks, users could post short text and media updates about what they were doing
- Following - Users could follow friends and interesting profiles to see their updates
- Conversations - Buzz allowed threaded conversations and discussions around different topics
- Sharing content - Users could easily share photos, videos, links, and other content
- Mobile support - Apps were available for accessing Buzz from iOS and Android devices
Buzz was controversial on launch, due to some privacy concerns, and ultimately failed to gain major mainstream adoption. It was officially discontinued in 2011, a little over a year after its initial release.