Google Buzz bug spotlights tepid usage | Relevant Results - CNET News

And, given Google’s modus operandi, Buzz users may also be wondering if Google will simply terminate the service, since it almost certainly isn’t meeting Google’s goals

Google Buzz went live in early February with visions of combining a stream of updates from services like Twitter with the engagement of services like Facebook or Friendfeed, giving Google a foothold in social media. Ever since Google said in February that "tens of millions of people have checked Buzz out" Google has consistently refused to state how many people are actively using Google Buzz, and it's still unwilling to reveal that number.

Laporte's experience, however, shows that the actual number of users itself isn't necessarily as important as the degree to which those users are engaged with the service. Social-media fans have a variety of outlets through which to share thoughts, links, and discussions, but there's only so much time even the most obsessed can spend on any one particular service, and people are likely to stick with the ones that generate the most attention for their musings. That's not good news for Google as it tries to make Buzz relevant in a world where Facebook has 500 million users and Twitter has over 100 million.

Google Buzz bug spotlights tepid usage | Relevant Results - CNET News