Google Inc said it may create a standalone version of its Buzz social networking product but won’t separate Buzz from its Gmail service, a linkup that has spurred controversy over privacy.
Google, the world’s No.1 Internet search engine launched Buzz earlier this week in a bid to tap into the fast-growing social networking market dominated by companies like Facebook and Twitter.
Buzz allows users to broadcast messages and share photos and videos with friends and colleagues online, similar to Twitter and Facebook.
But unlike those services, Buzz is built directly into Google’s Gmail and the product automatically creates each users’ social network based on the person’s most-frequently emailed contacts.
“We have considered, among all the other features that we add to Buzz in the future, to create a standalone experience in addition to it being in Gmail,” Google spokeswoman Victoria Katsarou said.
BUZZ TWEAKED TO TACKLE PRIVACY FLAWS
Google moved quickly to contain a firestorm of criticism over Buzz, and tweaked it to address privacy problems. Under fire was the ready circle of friends that Buzz gave new users.This was based on the most frequent e-mail and chat contacts. Now, Buzz suggests to new users people they may want to follow or want to be followed by. Buzz will also no longer connect public Picasa albums and items users shared on Google Reader automatically.
Also, Google is creating a new Buzz tab in Gmail’s settings page that allows users option to disable Buzz, deleting their posts and removing Google profile, which in many cases listed publicly a user’s circle of contacts.
Google, the world’s No.1 Internet search engine launched Buzz earlier this week in a bid to tap into the fast-growing social networking market dominated by companies like Facebook and Twitter.
Buzz allows users to broadcast messages and share photos and videos with friends and colleagues online, similar to Twitter and Facebook.
But unlike those services, Buzz is built directly into Google’s Gmail and the product automatically creates each users’ social network based on the person’s most-frequently emailed contacts.
“We have considered, among all the other features that we add to Buzz in the future, to create a standalone experience in addition to it being in Gmail,” Google spokeswoman Victoria Katsarou said.
BUZZ TWEAKED TO TACKLE PRIVACY FLAWS
Google moved quickly to contain a firestorm of criticism over Buzz, and tweaked it to address privacy problems. Under fire was the ready circle of friends that Buzz gave new users.This was based on the most frequent e-mail and chat contacts. Now, Buzz suggests to new users people they may want to follow or want to be followed by. Buzz will also no longer connect public Picasa albums and items users shared on Google Reader automatically.
Also, Google is creating a new Buzz tab in Gmail’s settings page that allows users option to disable Buzz, deleting their posts and removing Google profile, which in many cases listed publicly a user’s circle of contacts.
