back to article Google takes buzz saw to Buzz, other appendages

Google's first stab at social networking, the failed Google Buzz, is just one of a group of projects and programs that Mountain View has cast off in a "fall sweep", the sequal to its "fall spring-clean" of last month. "Changing the world takes focus on the future, and honesty about the past," wrote Google VP for products …

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  1. Dani Eder

    Risks of the Cloud

    One of the risks of putting your data on the "Cloud" is the service provider may just decide to shut it down at some random time of their choosing, as demonstrated by this news item. My approach, rather, is to keep the primary copy on my own system, and use the cloud for backup and for accessibility (to others, and to myself when mobile). If one provider shuts down, I still have the original data, and can post it to another provider if needed.

    1. mraak

      I keep it offline, and the entire hard drive backed up in the cloud. In addition to that, I have some stuff elsewhere, like code in various repos, pictures on Picassa, Flickr, etc. If any of these services or two of them fail, I will still be able to recover a lot of the most important stuff.

  2. xperroni
    Unhappy

    Farewell Buzz & Code Search, miss you guys already

    I know what everyone else think about Buzz; but I love it. The service is beautiful, with a simple yet engaging interface; really, it's Twitter for non-ADHD's. It makes Google's privacy snafu all the more damning that they did have a great product, but managed to screw up on launch.

    As for Code Search, perhaps it never reached the undisputed success of Google's other search options, but it was very nice to have when needed.

    Alas, farewell Buzz and Code Search. When you're gone, the web will be that much smaller for me.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Ah, bless :)

    2. sgb
      Big Brother

      "Google's privacy snafu"

      They haven't learned yet. When I log into gmail now, the log-in cycle brings me through youtube.com, even though I have no settings or options for youtube in my google account settings. I know they've always been able to profile me on the videos I watch using the immortal cookie, but I think a line has been crossed.

  3. Oninoshiko

    hmm...

    Anyone else thinking this might be the beginning of the end of Google?

    Google always took from the Edison school of development. Spray everywhere and hope something sticks. Historically they have payed an awful lot for R&D on random things, but it keeps people interested in what they are up to.

    I'm not saying they are going to be irreverent tomorrow, but a decade or two? This kinda shift in corporate culture is going to be hard to make, it could be their undoing.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      No

      It's called good business... You focus on the stuff you are good at and that works, and ditch the baggage.

      Microsoft and Apple could learn alot... Microsoft has plenty of baggage that it's better without. Zune, Xbox, Windows Mobile.

      1. Dan 55 Silver badge

        @No

        Something like Code Search was never going to be a blockbuster given its target users. It does however generate a lot of loyalty and you can target very specific adverts based on the language and keywords being searched for.

        It's not particularly clever to knock niche services on the head that no-one else provides and waste millions repeatedly trying to copy a what is practically a monopoly (Facebook). If they carry on like this they will turn into a one trick pony.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @no

        Err "Xbox" you mean the thing that brings in lots of revenue and gives them presence in a good proportion of living rooms around the world? As well as money from games, movies and TV services? Yes they should dump that.

        And as to Windows mobile, when their opposition is Android, the dying RIM and the dead Symbian, if they could get a half decent interface there's little reason they can't make a killing in that market.

        But yeah, zune is rubbish, though weren't they using it for their app store?

      3. Ru

        Re: Microsoft and Apple could learn alot [sic]

        Apple don't seem to have any particular nostalgic attachment to their old software products. They always seem quite happy to bin the old and bring in something flakey to replacement it.

        Your MS examples are rather curious, though. XBOX seems to be doing well enough. Zune is effectively a zombie product at this point, but in the face of WM7 or whatever the latest phone platforms will be called, we shouldn't have to wait long before it gets its head chopped off. Windows Mobile is an odd one... if they pull themselves together, they might make a reasonable product. Android is flailing around a bit at the moment, webos is dead and bada isn't exactly setting the world on fire... it'll be nice not to have to look forward to Apple with everything in the future.

    2. Justin Clements

      Long since started

      Google are well aware that they are a one trick pony. They have plenty of great ideas, but none that gain much traction. Rather than innovate they seem to emulate.

      It's getting very hard to take Google seriously these days.

    3. Zippy the Pinhead
      Stop

      @Oninoshiko

      Anyone else thinking this might be the beginning of the end of Google?

      Nope.. I would more liken it to Spring Cleaning.

  4. Tom 38
    Trollface

    Direct access to Google's search results

    I get this from the homepage. Silly academics.

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