Buzz kill

If you're looking for an overview of the troubled roll-out of Google's Buzz--the new social-networking site that could, potentially, be an alternative to Facebook and Twitter--this piece, from the NY Times's Miguel Helft, is a worthwhile read. Here's the bottom line: Google screwed up, big time, by automatically pushing people into networks rather than letting users take the first step.

I haven't used Buzz yet, but I've taken a peek occasionally when I'm in Gmail, which I use all the time. And I must say, right now, my (automatic) community seems less than impressed by the service.

Thoughts, readers? I'm especially interested to hear from people who might actually like Buzz. (If you're out there, that is.)