Google Buzz survey: Yeah, no one's using it

By Nick Hide on 10 March 2010, 1:06pm

Google Buzz has a great deal of work to do to convince even tech-literate Web users that it's a viable service, a CNET UK survey shows. We asked our exquisitely discerning readers what they think of Gmail's status-updates feature and the results are in.

Some 220 people responded to the survey, 44 of whom had used Buzz. Criticism of the service ranged from its implementation -- "clustered and annoying" said one user -- to its openness, with one respondent concerned about the recent privacy kerfuffle. The low adoption rate put others off, with no one to talk to.

A smattering of users like it, however, with one pointing out that "it works well on mobile" and another preferring it to Facebook. That was a distinctly minority opinion, however: 75 per cent of respondents use Facebook, compared to 20 per cent who use Buzz. Forty-seven per cent make use of Twitter, while just 15 per cent are on MySpace.

Reasons given for using Buzz included "trying it out", "keeping in contact with friends from the US", "keeping up-to-date with current technology" and as an alternative to Twitter.

Let us know what you think of Buzz in the comments section below -- does it have a future? Or was the launch so botched it's dead in the water? Also, if you've got a moment, please give us your opinion on the Apple iPad and you could win £50 of Amazon vouchers -- just click here to get started.

Comments 8

Add your comment

anonymous 10 March, 2010 18:52

One thing I like about Buzz is that it supports https.

anonymous 10 March, 2010 20:24

yes i like buzz too , i like it because you can share information about phishing sites and other nasties that are about , in addition to this i like it also for sharing news

anonymous 10 March, 2010 23:29

what's google buzz?

anonymous 11 March, 2010 00:19

I use it, as do lots of people I know. It has pretty much replaced twitter thanks to it working better on mobiles, working over HTTPS, letting you embed images, links-with-summaries, decent chunks of text with formatting, and having a much better reply system than having to @reply to people. On Buzz you can actually have a decent discussion, unlike Twitter.

Plus the fact I can just share stuff with friends only, or public, lets me chat privately or share reviews of places i've been, with ease.

anonymous 11 March, 2010 09:56

i think twitter should sue google because buzz is a direct ripoff of twittter . put a blue bird on buzz= twitter

twitter was first and will be the best!

anonymous 11 March, 2010 17:21

I can't be bothered. I don't even touch my facebook account more than once a month, and I only use twitter for talking to my close friends. It may be fully featured, it may be great, and I may have even liked it... if Google hadn't made such a huge mess out of its deployment. As it stands, I'm already turned off to it, and have disabled it entirely from my email account.

sirleanalot 12 March, 2010 01:58

What I like best about buzz is the integration with gmail . . twitter is simple but following hundreds of strangers even if they share the same interests as me is a bit weird and depressing, facebook is only good for exchanging wisecracks with frivolous contacts that you don't care much for and don't ever wish to see again in person, but when it comes to serious networking all the people i want to and care to network with are in my gmail contact list - buzz has only made it easier to stay updated.

anonymous 28 March, 2010 13:19

I think Buzz was a complete waste of their time and resources. I use Facebook, and I understand how to use it. Buzz? I'm not sure if there is a field that represents my "status" or really how any of the stuff works. It's horrible.