Strategic Social Networking - Archive

Buzzing for Real-Time Search: The Defaults Don’t Fly

February 22nd, 2010 | Posted by Jessica Bratcher in Buzz | case study | Features - (0 Comments)

With the release of Buzz flapping everyone’s wings over the last Internet halflife, it’s time to consider some practical application for Buzz. Danny Sullivan at Search Engine Land has laid the groundwork in the article “How to Search Google Buzz.”

For the record, the “type it in the box and trust the search results” isn’t enough with this service from Google. Searching Buzz, a social media tool that gets food from Twitter, Google Reader, Friend Feed, and SMS, retrieves results from a typical box search that are surprisingly old in the real-time scheme of things.

Perhaps it’s the law librarian in me that makes the lack of specific date and time on the search result for Buzz particularly discouraging. The truth is, even Buzz will find its way into the courtroom somehow, someway.

I tried out Mr. Sullivan’s tip on advanced searching for Buzz with “has:link” This search confirmed that the search engine company synonymous with finding information is actually behind Buzz. The author and commenter search seems to work too.

Here are my key take-outs for Buzz searching.

For accurate “updates” results per Sullivan use Google’s real-time search
Advanced features for author, commenter, link/image/video work well.
A fatal flaw is the date/time display. I’d rather have the results offered up with a true date and time than hours, minutes, seconds.
Relevance vs. chronological sorting is not apparent. Neither seems to be the default. Pick one and make it so.
“Googling” Buzz at this point in time does not mean users will “find” the answer.

I’m sure some will say that the whole point of Buzzing is the real-time nature of social media. I would answer that with: a) don’t provide search if updates are all that’s important and b) real-time obviously puts a premium on time, so fix the date of origin.

Read a more in-depth analysis at Beyond Search.

Constance Ard, Answer Maven, Feb. 22, 2010

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What’s the Buzz on the Streets?

February 22nd, 2010 | Posted by Jessica Bratcher in Buzz | News - (0 Comments)

Sometimes nothing speaks louder than what your customer is saying to everyone else. Wired.com recently asked the question “What Buzzeth You About Google Buzz?” to its readers and Buzz users. The answers range from ambivalence to sheer panic over the perceived privacy violations and the impending doom they felt it would bring. In reading through the comments, one trend I noticed in the many comments was a feeling that Google really didn’t understand their customer base if they honestly felt people wanted social networking integrated into their email usage. That is an interesting observation, if true. Does Google really understand what their users want and need? And the difference between the two? More importantly, will their customers newly inherited lack of trust in the Internet giant now affect their next move(s)?

Melody K. Smith, Feb. 22, 2010

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Working Out the Bugs in Buzz

February 21st, 2010 | Posted by Jessica Bratcher in Buzz | News | security - (0 Comments)

How many times has someone advised you not to buy revolutionary new software or hardware when it first hits the market? “Let them work out the bugs first,” goes this conventional wisdom. A bit of pest eradication is what Google is now doing with Buzz, the new social networking feature built into Gmail. Google took some hits because the initial release of Buzz made it difficult for users to protect information they want kept private. Google reacted quickly, says Darren Allan in Techwatch in “Google responds to Buzz privacy criticisms,” by making alterations and defending its product: “We designed Buzz to make it easy to connect with others and have conversations … It’s still early and we have a long list of improvements on the way.”

Don’t wait for next year’s model to try Buzz, but start slowly. If you come across a feature you don’t like, tell Google. They can add it to their long list.

John Sniffen, Feb. 21, 2010

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Even Pre-Buzz, Google Was Getting Personal

February 17th, 2010 | Posted by Jessica Bratcher in Buzz | Facebook | News | security - (0 Comments)

Google is getting personal … in its searches of social media, that is.

The Internet search giant has announced that users may, with a few tweaks to their profiles, see search results related to friends, co-workers and other members of their social media network on sites such as Twitter. “We think there’s tremendous potential for social information to improve search, and we’re just beginning to scratch the surface,” said G oogle in blog post cited on CNN.com. There is a catch, however. “Many of Facebook’s roughly 350 million users responded to Google’s addition of results from the site by tightening their privacy settings,” says the CNN report. As a result, only information that Facebook users choose to make public is accessible. On the other hand, should Facebook users wish to make more information public, they can also loosen their privacy controls.

John Sniffen, Feb. 17, 2010

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Should we Trust Google Buzz?

February 16th, 2010 | Posted by Jessica Bratcher in Buzz | Features | security - (0 Comments)

Customer complaints led to some drastic changes in Google’s Buzz, says a recent Sunday Morning Herald article. The results should make businesses pay closer attention to its evolution. Users claimed they didn’t have enough control with the Gmail social media application, so Google listened and quickly responded. Users didn’t like their friend lists becoming public and others were concerned about having so little power over who followed them. Now, a Google spokesperson said, there will be a stricter profile setup step and users will be notified when someone is following them, much like Twitter. These rapid changes should serve as a notice to businesses planning to use Buzz as a marketing tool like Facebook and Twitter. This newborn is evolving and you need to stay on top of it to get the most from your next social media campaign, but keep a close eye on privacy and security concerns.

Patrick Roland, Feb. 16, 2010

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Google’s Social Search Can Personalize Your Job Search

February 11th, 2010 | Posted by Jessica Bratcher in Buzz | Features | jobs | networking - (0 Comments)

Almost a year after releasing the Beta version of Social Search, the folks at Google are working hard at adding new features to this unique application. In this recent blog post, they highlight some of the features. See post at

One of those new features is “social” being added to the Google Images search. To me, the benefit of this is having the search parameters look at my friends and contacts sites, including Flickr and Picasa, for images that meet my request. I might have seen a great photo of a Chinese Tea House but not remember whose site I was on at the time. This way it looks at my friends and contacts sites and presents the results marked appropriately. Very useful and convenient yes, but how does it help on a professional/career level?

If you are in the process of job hunting, it could be very beneficial to use Social Search to scout around for some opportunities. If your search parameters return some hits on your social circle, the ease of getting your foot in the door of a potential employer has just improved dramatically. It might be that you have a “virtual” blogger friend who either works for or has connections with a small company looking for someone with your expertise. With this application, networking has not only grown beyond the golf course but has positioned itself at your fingertips.

What if you are searching for sales leads? This social feature has the potential to increase your customer base and provide new connections. If in doing a Social Search, you discover a friend you attend church with has mentioned on his blog how his job has been changed to include purchasing responsibilities for their production processes. This includes products you carry in your sales line. The first and hardest step of any sales transaction is already done – you have a relationship.

Using the application is as simple as establishing your Google Profile. There you can link to all your social media sites, list prior employments and experiences that built your skill set, and provide the level of personal information you are comfortable with, no more no less. It is important to note that the more information provided, the more powerful and productive the search. Once your profile has been established, your social circle will begin to fill out and continue to evolve as connections are made.

Currently, they are leaving the beta label on the product as they feel the potential for additional features is very high. They plan to continually enhance the product with all kinds of bells and whistles. However, the recent additions to the features are rolling out as we speak. Once your profile is complete, access to the features is automatic. So, go forth and search!

Melody K. Smith, Feb. 11, 2010

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Should We Trust Google’s Social Media Foray?

February 10th, 2010 | Posted by Jessica Bratcher in Buzz | Features | security - (0 Comments)

While keeping its lips sealed about a grand vision, Google seems to be slipping—one toe at a time—into the social media pool. A summary of its recent announcement of a Social Search and Personalization option has many computer users excited about its possibilities, but should also make people a little suspicious.

The truth about Google’s leap into social media isn’t nearly as dramatic as the buzz makes it sound. People will not be replacing their carefully crafted Facebook profile for a Google version. And they will not start updating friends on their daily details with a Googlized Twitter.

At least not yet. Google’s new Social Search and Personalization option aims to help keep one’s online social life a little more focused. The powerful search engine will begin offering an ability to narrow search results to only include social media posts from friends. In addition, a CNN report claims the company will also announce features that, “would allow Facebook-style status updates, as well as pinging when users post something to affiliated sites like YouTube or Picasa.” The end product, it seems, will be a one-stop-shop for collecting all social media data.

However, Google starting its own social media outlet doesn’t seem too farfetched. At first glance this does sound like a massive time saver that will keep people from constantly juggling their Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media accounts. However, some wonder whether Google should be trusted. One such person, PC World’s David Coursey voiced his skepticism in a recent piece for the tech-savvy magazine. While he also sees the benefits, he worries about the sheer amount of data Google already has and will be collecting in the future. “Like many, I have been giving Google lots of information about me: E-mail addresses, Web sites, a contact list, Google voice calls, search results, the content of my Web sites and blogs, credit card numbers, Google docs, and other things I probably don’t even know about.”

This collection, he claims, is dangerous for individual privacy. He imagines a national security risk on par with 9/11 where the federal government asks Google for data much like telecom companies were once asked. The amount of personal information Google collects is staggering, and it looks like the collection will only grow with its new Social Search and Personalization options. While it does seem like a bit of an overreaction, Coursey’s concern is valid.

Our civil liberties might not be at risk, but we do live in an age of fierce online predators. Before jumping into the next trend, users should put more thought into what it means. There is no clear right or wrong answer in this debate, but Google’s new leap into social media might just encourage people to think beyond the next minute’s Tweet and look deeper into the big picture.

Patrick Roland, February 10, 2010

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