Now that you’ve seen Google Buzz popping into your Gmail account, I bet you want to know how to use it, huh? Let’s start with what GB is (and what it isn’t).
Buzz is integrated right into your gmail account (how super sneaky is that!?), and it’s an updating, media sharing, connect-you-to-the-ones-you-love kind of service. It goes way beyond sharing your statuses like you would with Facebook and Twitter.
To get started, just log in to your Gmail account and check out the Buzz logo beneath your inbox. Based on your current email and/or chat patterns, you’ll see a list of people you are automatically following.
Here’s a quick 2 minute video that will tell you a bit more about Google Buzz:
Add Your Sites
You can start by clicking on “connected sites” above your buzz box. This will open another box where you can start adding your different platforms. Picasa, Flickr, YouTube, Google Reader, and Twitter are all found here as well as any blogger accounts you may have. Once you have those sites connected, they’ll start showing up in your Buzz stream. If there are other sites you’d like to connect, you can easily do so by editing your Google Profile.
Privacy
Sometimes you don’t want everyone seeing what you’re buzzing about. Below the Buzz Box you can toggle between Public and Private. If you choose Private, then click on “post to group, you’ll have a list of your Google groups that you can choose from.
Buzzing
Each buzz that’s sent out has it’s own unique URL. Once your buzz has been posted, there is a comment button on the top right hand side of the block with a down arrow. Click it to email the post, obtain a link, mute the post or delete it. You can even post a buzz update from email from your gmail account by sending the post to buzz@gmail.com. Your buzz will be the subject line and it will include any attachments you send.
If you absolutely hate Buzz, you can also turn it off by going all the way down to the bottom of the page. There’s a little spot that says “turn off buzz”.
Ninja Tricks
1. You can format your buzzes. Follow along for your quick how-to formatting options:
*bold* a word by enclosing it with asterisks.
_italicize_ a word by enclosing it in underscores.
*_bold and italicize_* a word by enclosing it with asterisks and underscores.
-strike through- a word by enclosing it with dashes.
2. Re-Buzz is tougher than re-tweeting. You’ll need to grab the Public URL (that we talked about earlier) and submit it as a new status update.
3. FireFox rules. If you run Firefox, you’ll want to pick up this handy extension which will allow you to make a buzz update via Gmail with the link of whatever webpage you happen to be viewing.
4. Buzz it button. You can add your own Buzz It button to your blog by adding this nifty plugin to your WordPress site.
Quick Comparison
Will I use it?
In short, probably not – though I reserve the right to change my mind at any time. See, I love Google and all things Google App related. It makes my life simple, easy, and clean but it’s not available as a Google App yet (read: if you have a personal gmail account, you’re gold. If you use your business account you’re up the creek without a paddle). I’ll pop the Buzz Button onto the blog at some point, but that’s about it for now.
What do YOU think? Love it, or hate it? Use it or not?
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