#137 - How do you BUZZ all about it?

Have you been following Joel Mark Witt's column about Google Buzz for the last couple of weeks? Joel has a great handle on the upside and the downside (and everything in between) when it comes to Google's latest entry into social networking.

Check out Joel's easy-to-follow, comprehensive article at FolkMedia - http://folkmedia.org/google-buzz-in-gmail/

For beginners, you can watch this quick YouTube video Google produced to give us all a basic understanding of what Buzz does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi50KlsCBio

I am quite surprised after some reading, video viewing and playtime at my own Buzz site, that I find myself thinking that Buzz may work better for me personally than Twitter. I certainly don't have time to manage both. How about you?

Perhaps the creators of Twitter should be worried. Yes, Twitter is the current go-to for many people who like to socialize while on the go, and PR professionals intent on spreading the word. Still, social media is a very fickle place and things here can take on a life of their own. Twitter could burn out just as quickly as it originally ignited. So, will the masses move to Buzz? Only time will tell.

Seriously, I doubt Twitter will go anywhere soon (although stranger things have happened). From Buzz and Twitter to Facebook's Fan pages, it's all about business. This product may be social in nature but like every form of media today, it is ultimately advertising supported. If the producers don't profit then the medium either changes or disappears. The bottom line is always financial.

So, let's Buzz on and check out the link to Joel's post today at FolkMedia. The best advice we are sharing is that NOW is the best time to establish your Buzz profile. Do some experimenting of your own. Dive in. It's important (as a student of all things social media-related) to test the waters while the tech is new. (It's that whole "early bird catches the worm" thing.)

Have you already visited Buzz to set up an account or update status? You can find me at http://www.google.com/profiles/msuwordsmith. Let's share our experiences here by commenting in the box below.

Meanwhile, back at the Google lab...
Google is still working on additional features to make Buzz work for businesses and schools, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. Buzz isn't yet available in Google Apps - but stay tuned. If you have a gmail account, just log in to automatically see the new "Buzz" link under "Inbox," that means Buzz is on for you. If you want to learn more in the meantime, just visit buzz.google.com.

#136 - Tell me about your Social Media Life!

Breaking news! The focus of Life Lessons has now officially changed to reflect the many ways we are all living our lives in the social media spotlight. (Note the new blog title above - Social Media Life Lessons.) In case you're wondering what prompted this change, it's quite simple. Earlier this week I had a conversation with a prospective client, an executive VP for a non-profit organization in Nashville, and he remarked that more and more he found he was "practically living on Facebook."

It was not the first time I'd heard the comment, and it suddenly dawned on me that the real reason I blog is to explore and possibly even enhance knowledge of social media - be it with blogs, Facebook, Twitter, SocialGo, Squidoo, hundreds of online communities, forum discussions, RSS aggregators, various websites, or online news sources. What's happening in social media affects everyone. It has changed the virtual landscape of media from print to broadcasting in an amazingly short span of time - just one decade. The medium is changing and we need to change with it.

To better reflect the nature of this site, I have changed its title to reflect a focus on teaching important life lessons framed within the context of social media, including news and events of interest to students, everyday users, and social media practitioners. The primary goal is to keep you, the reader, informed (with an easy, interesting format) of changes in social media (which seem to be occurring almost daily). Each week, we'll focus on a specific lesson covering the most effective and popular usage of one social media tool or technique.

Feel free to leave topic requests in the comments section below! I'll put my best research skills to work to answer any reader questions or comments.

You can look forward to many more posts on how to leverage social media for PR, news writing, advertising, education, business and even personal use. So, please, take a minute to let me know what you want to learn more about or better utilize online. I will research and report on any aspect of social media you choose.

A blog is only as good as the conversation it fosters...I look forward to collaborating with you, communicating and educating in this blog space.

In other news...
There was major news in social media today with the announcement that Google is already re-tooling the new Buzz network to address privacy concerns raised by consumers - just day's after the network launched. Google plans to separate Buzz from users' Gmail accounts, according to a report at Search Engine Land. Personally, I applaud Google for taking quick action to address any security concerns. I do worry that this rocky start for Buzz does not bode well for the search engine giant's foray into social networking.

What do you think of Google Buzz? Have you tried it? Do you agree that it should be separated from Gmail accounts? Inquiring minds really want to know.

It's time to get this this conversation started! I look forward to hearing from you.