Why Google Needs Buzz – Kevin Rose

If you haven’t heard about Google Buzz yet then it is time to learn what and how you can use it. Watch this video from google:
YouTube – Google Buzz

Start conversations about the things you find interesting. Share updates, photos, videos, and more.

Check out Joel Comm’s Buzzing With Google Buzz | Top One Report

When it comes to social media, it’s not the numbers that count. You can have a Facebook page with tens of thousands of fans and a Twitter timeline with.

Now I know this post is way overdue but let’s be honest we all needed some time to learn more about how Google Buzz was going to change the Social Media industry. In my honest opinion I don’t think it has really changed much at all other than become another tool or channel to share content.

Here are some Google Buzz Tips and Tricks

Doriano “Paisano” Carta made a short video tutorial in which he show how you should setup ping.fm and Google Buzz if you wish to distribute content.

Give your comments below on what you have thought about Google Buzz so far. I plan on posting my thoughts here soon.

Post from: Social Media Vision

Google Buzz, Kevin Rose and Joel Comm

Last month and the last few weeks their has been some what of a social search launched the social uprising! First off Microsoft’s Bing announced search deals with Twitter and Facebook and, at the Web 2.0 Summit, launched its Twitter integration. Almost immediately though, Google fired back, completing its own deal with Twitter and, perhaps more importantly, announcing a new feature: Social Search.

Google announced this new feature in their recent blog post called Introducing Google Social Search: I finally found my friend’s New York blog!

Now we all knew this was coming it was just a matter of time. Here is what Google themselves had to say about it:

“Your friends and contacts are a key part of your life online. Most people on the web today make social connections and publish web content in many different ways, including blogs, status updates and tweets. This translates to a public social web of content that has special relevance to each person. Unfortunately, that information isn’t always very easy to find in one simple place. That’s why today we’re rolling out a new experiment on Google Labs called Google Social Search that helps you find more relevant public content from your broader social circle.”

I am writing this blog post because I would like to get your thoughts on Google Social Search. Of course, how can I ask for your feedback, unless I give you my own.

I think the announcement if very interesting although I think they are late to the game, meaning I don’t think they are working fast enough (that is my impatient side talking). I still think it has a ways to go, but i don’t believe it can be ignored. I am currently a Google Wave beta tester and I think for sure they are going to integrate it into the new Google Social Search.

So essentially those are my initial thoughts. I wanted to get your thoughts on the subject! So please comment below and tell the world what you think of the new Google Social Search.

Here’s a video demo below of social search from Google:

UPDATE: Google says social search will be down until early next week. No reason has been given.

Post from: Social Media Vision

Google Social Search – Your Thoughts?

About 6pm EST the Twitter world has witnessed a massive DM response saying “hey! Check out this funny blog about you? http:/ / j an nawa litax. blogspot. com ” (Don’t click ont that link)

The link turned out to be a Re-Direct Phishing Scam to a Fake Twitter Log In Screen.  The idea behind this scam is of course tricking users thinking that they somehow logged off of Twitter and will need to re-enter their username and password.

Phishing in the cyberworld is a play-on-words for Fishing which shows scammers in the act of Fishing action to trick people into getting their Passwords.

Don’t Mess With The TwittPack

Twitter is a very tight community that if provoked can turn on you like a rabid wild wolf pack feeding off a hungry frenzy.  We all witnessed the Motrin Mom case where the Twitter world backlashed the Motrin PR people and ultimately started an uproar in the cyber world.

Now another case arises from this and this time the Tight Twitter community has turned on Scammers.  Below is an excerpt of just some conversations going on.  At the time of writing this article the Twitter Search trends has reached over thousands of Tweets just in a 30 minute span.

The Twitter spammer apparently comes from china (via PhishTank.com):

Organization : zhang xiaohu
Name : zhang xiaohu
Address : changningzhonghuainanlu192hao
City : changning
Province/State : Hunan
Country : CN
Postal Code : 421500 

 

The Twitter spammer will sadly feel the wrath of backlash in the Twitter World and will be another guinea pig made into example in not to mess with the Twitter Wolf Pack.

The wildfire has spreaded from the Twitter Staff to Google’s own poster child Matt Cutt.  The scammer who might of gotten away with this kind of thing if they kept this on the down low and really didn’t mass affect everyone but the scammer purley deserves this because you got to be insane to think that the Twitter community will not spread news faster than Superman.

 Now the scammer will more than likely be shut down, banned, pressed charges and be black balled in the cyberworld forever.

Within a half hour the Twitter Staff has uploaded a Static Banner across all the Twitter Home Screens

Power of the wolfpack!

Post from: Social Media Vision

Twitter Wildfire Spread On The Jannawalitax Scam Like A Pack Of Wolves

Google Friend Connect

Earlier this week on December 15th 2008, Google’s Official Blog wrote a post on how Twitter was integrated with Google Friend Connect service. 

This allows Twitter users now to sign in and join in with this social networking service by using Twitter Ids now so you tweet about the sites you join or find other Twitter users in your community.

Twitter Plays Fair

Quickly word spread that Twitter slapped Facebook & Myspace in the face with this breaking news but Twitter CEO Evan Williams had this to tweet about it, saying “For the record: Twitter did not “choose Google, not Facebook.” We’re working with both. We have more to do on the FB side before launch.”

Turns out Twitter wants to debunk rumors on siding with just Google, but what about Myspace you ask?

Twitter was originally one of the launch partners for Myspace ID (similiar to Google Friend Connect and FacebookConnect) Myspace has been using Google Friend Connect currently and is awaiting integration with Twitter.

Twitter’s Biz Stone also quoted from Tech Crunch here saying

Twitter plans to integrate with the open initiatives offered by our friends at MySpace, Facebook, and Google. We officially announced our intent to work with MySpace back in May because we believe strongly in offering the exchange of public information between our complimentary services.

Integrating with MySpace as well as FacebookConnect will require some development effort on our part. Now that we have 13 software engineers working at Twitter and our reliability continues to improve we’re getting closer to integrating with your favorite social networks

 

2 cents

So it appears Twitter want’s to be friends with everyone and is playing it very safe along the lines on who to side with.  Twitter seems at this point very smart to keep a hush hush business advertising model and playing it fair on all sides. 

Keep in mind Twitter was offered a buyout from Facebook earlier and was turned down.  More and more big players are viewing Twitter as “The Hot New Toy” recently, the question is who will Twitter play with the most?

Post from: Social Media Vision

Twitter Playing Fair With Google, Facebook & Myspace

Google Friend Connect officially launched in May 12, 2008 [via Google Press Center]

Google Friend Connect is in BETA stage at the moment and requires people to register to be white-listed to use the service.  Since my blog is fairly new anyways I figured I give it a shot and find out if this is a good Social Media Tool that Google claims it to be.

*Updated* – Google Announced December 4th 2008 that it will be open to any website owner to add Friend Connect in response to Facebook Connect.

Setting up

The first thing I had to do was set up a new site to use this service.  Apparently this service will only work on self hosted sites where you would have to download 2 .html files to upload to your main server.

After setting up .html files, you are directed to choose a Gadget or Widget from the gallery.  Apparently there will be tons of open apps to be available but for now there seems to be just 3 main apps.

• Add a Member Gadget – Similar to MyBlogLog’s members widget where users can add their profile to your site.
• Wall Gadget – This gadget allows users to interact with your site by posting comments, or links to videos on your site.  Similar to a Shoutbox.
• Review/Rate Gadget - This gadget allows users to rate a page, or a section of a page. Users rate videos, articles, books, photos, songs, etc etc.   This gadget is similar to the rating plug-ins or widgets currently out there in the blog world.

Review

*12/5 Update* - I added the wall feature at the very bottom aswell, please feel free to test this new tool

Post from: Social Media Vision

Beta Testing Google Friend Connect Similiar To MyBlogLog & Rival Facebook Connect

Social Media is everywhere even in movies like “Twilight”

We all know that Social Media has become popular but has it reached mainstream yet?  Has it reached the pop culture status of where it becomes the Norm?

More and more references of Social Media have been popping up in the mainstream world lately, most recently in the movie Twilight.

Below are examples of the Google, Amazon and Texting.

In the movie the main character Bella becomes intrigued of her strange classmate Edward who shows sign of unnatural characteristics.  Bella has heard references to Edwards family through the tales of the Native Indian’s Legends.  Bella then uses the power of “Google“  to find information regarding about the history behind the legends and references.

The image of Bella “Googling” was referenced quite a few times.  They even showed the Powers of “Amazon Books” where Books were suggested for her Google Search and even pinpointed her to the nearest bookstore which had copies of these.

Finally a more humorous plot in the movie was when Bella’s Mother was on the phone with her and told Bella she was going to text her Step-father some news, Bella was taken back by the fact her mom was texting and her Mother exclaimed that she finally took Bella’s Advice.

The Digital Age of Online Tools has become more and more a world wide culture.  Keep in mind giants like Google has only been around since 1998, 10 years ago.  Although the online world is still fairly new, the culture of the Digital Age is becoming more and more mainstream fast and faster than ever.

Post from: Social Media Vision

Social Media is everywhere even in movies like “Twilight”

Gmail New Video Chat

about

If you haven’t noticed already, check your Gmail account and you will notice at the top of your screen is a new feature called video chat.

Video chat is a plug-in you install when signed into Gmail.  In the Chat section of your Gmail, select the contact you want to call. If they have a camera icon next to their name, you can make a voice or video call to them; just click Video & more.

Playing catch up

Yahoo has launched webcam chat a long time ago http://messenger.yahoo.com/features/webcam/

Aim has launched Video IM a long time ago http://www.aim.com/help_faq/using/win/video_im.adp

It doesn’t matter really because everyone loves Google and most people are migrating over to Gtalk and with all the new people using Gtalk it only makes sense to add Video Chat.  This doesn’t come to a surprise, just look at Google Chrome, everyone wants a piece of the action.

Have fun with your Gmail Video Chat and if you don’t have a Webcam there are some promotional items on the Gmail Video Chat Link http://www.google.com/mail/help/videochat/learnmore.html

Post from: Social Media Vision

Gmail is catching up on video chat