Google Creating Twitter Clone for Gmail
As soon as this week, Google might be rolling out a "Twitter-killer" feature for Gmail users, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
Gmail users can currently broadcast status messages via the Google Talk feature. The main difference between the current offering and the new feature is that status messages aren't available in a timeline format. With the new "Twitter clone," they will be.
UPDATE: While we're still waiting for an official response from Google's PR team, we've been invited to an event at the Googleplex tomorrow "to see some innovations in two of our most popular products." The event will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific (UTC -8) - stay tuned tomorrow for RWW's live coverage of the event!
This is the current option for updating statuses in Gmail:
Google's new tools, however, will better integrate with Google's multimedia sites, YouTube and Picasa. (Currently, Google Talk users can share YouTube videos via chat, which prompts a miniaturized version of the video to pop up above the chat in progress.) Users will also be able to see "a stream of status updates from people they choose to connect with."
We're contacting Google for more information and will update this post as we learn more.
In the meantime, however, we're wondering how this feature will integrate with other status-sharing sites. Will Gmail and Google Talk's new feature act as Google's first steps into developing a social media client (like Tweetdeck) in its own right?
The new feature could start appearing on users' screen as soon as this week. If you had this tool, would you use it?
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This is a good move by Google. Not sure how many people will use it, but definitely a worthwhile feature to add, especially considering the content sites they host.
I'm trying to get *away* from GMail! I don't use Google Talk or Google IM except when forced to. I'm glad to see Google branching out into actually building tangible competitive products like phones and netbooks, because the majority of their "free" stuff is utter garbage, full of privacy leaks, or a time sink.
sorry but i think the screen is about status in google chat in gmail, function that is in gmail for months ago, I would like a url or something that specify a google Twitter same
Meh, I don't feel the need to update my status all the time. People are shocked if I update once a year, otherwise I just post interesting tech articles on Facebook.
Frankly, there are already far FAR too many different "social networking" sites, sets, and protocols. It's almost impossible to keep even a minimal selection read and updated without staying glued to the screen 24/7/365. Most of the "social media" mavens I know are so busy telling other "social media" mavens about their lives, that they have no time to actually LIVE those lives... it's an elaborate ongoing online RolePlay by people who never get out of the basement.
If this ONLY lives inside Gmail, I don't see it taking hold of users' status updates. There's no doubt that Google has the reach and audience to make something like this work, but I'm not sure that little status box inside Gmail is the best UI to support a platform like this.
It will be interesting to see how they roll this out. I'd bet on it being tied in with Google Profiles, as that is quickly becoming the public "hub" for collecting Google users' activity.
ever since I bought my android phone i have been using a gmail account again and have been putting more attention to twitter and other social media. I think it is a good move of Google, but I hope that there is some integration (push status updates) with twitter (and facebook)
This doesn't strike me as being a Twitter clone as much as it strikes me as being Wave.
Unless they move that status interface to the top/front/center like Facebook does, I don't see this getting heavy usage.
Also, maybe it's just me, but I don't treat my IM status the same as my Twitter/Facebook/whatever "status". My IM status is more likely to be "at lunch" or "on conference call" -- things that actually pertain to my availability to chat. My Twitter/Facebook status is used more for link-sharing, general observations, or hilariously witty quips that I generate to keep my loyal following of spambots and sexbots entertained.
Or what if they hooked it into your calendar timetable, location update, status from your Android phone - oh wait, Jaiku did that (on Nokia through your profile setting and calendar info) - Which Google also owns/owned.......
Oh wow, that is pretty interesting dude, I mean seriously.
JR
www.private-surfing.be.tc
I would only use this if it is something like Tweetdeck. Too many people are on Facebook and Google's contact manager is definitely a major turnoff for sharing anything with my "friends".
It would be great, however, if they made the Google contact list similar to how Facebook does it - people are the most important feature. You could do this for gmail - have a "status" update and email stream for friends and another stream for general email. Could also integrate and share Google Reader, photos and youtube...
Think differently, google apps (for domains) and intranet type purposes..
internal company communication..
I don't know if I should consider it good or bad news... I'm afraid of having my gmail account access blocked in China too now! I would not really like that...
Huh! This is something interesting news. Twitter followers will like this idea of merging into gmail platform.
@2: Privacy leaks? Got any links?
I think there is room for another twitter, simply because twitter isnt all that great in the first place. Twitter is constantly down due to high-traffic. I guarantee that would never happen with Google. Google is better at creating minimalist, yet fully functional UIs, something that is crucial to the success of a twitter clone. I also suspect you can kiss the max 140 characters of twitter goodbye if google launches their own twitter-like service.
- Greymarch
I write about technology at my website.
http://www.greymarch.com
This won't pick up at all.
When Google opened Google Talk, they opened the service to XMPP/Jabber federation. As a new entrant in a saturated market, opening up is the logical move. Let's hope that Google's entry into the microblogging field will support decentralized interoperability using the OpenMicroBlogging protocol pioneered by Status.net.
@stormkite, I'd like to hire you as the marketing manager for my new social networking site...you could be the "anti-social media maven."
I've posted a little piece I've written about how this move makes Google look more and more like Microsoft, expanding into other companies area of domain instead of being on the leading edge of innovation.
Finally it's Google Buzz (http://buzz.google.com)
It would be better if we will be allowed to put more then 140 characters .. NOW Google is Following...
Best,
Daina
Having had a Gmail account since 2004/2005, it will be interesting to see how useful this can become. Saying "twitter-killer" is ridiculous. It's far too late for anything of the sort.
If people developing these kinds of things had in mind what could be complementary instead of "killing" competition, I think we could see some superior advancements.
I'm glad to see the post on the 100 alternative search engines - http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_100_alternative_search_engines.php
Diversity could be the G**gle killer when enough people become brand fatigued during G**gle virus quest to become the software and computing illuminatus (now spreading into mobile).
Google seems to be lot much active in 2010. We should be ready for more surprised from it.
Yes 'Buzz' is creating the real buzz!!
thank you numberone google
Think differently, google apps (for domains) and intranet type purposes..
I like Google Buzz, but I think it's a bit late to try and take on Twitter.
That sounds like a great Google application. I use the
google docs feature to keep my hypnosis seminar notes on. It came in handy a few times with luggage lost I could reprint the entire hypnosis seminar notes while I was there.
I do not even use Google IM did not even know they had it I use gmail and yahoo IM for the few people I talk to on IM. I am not sure they are going to catch twitter in the ratings and usage with the extension into their territory.
I can see some useful aspects to being able to access twitter functions from gmail. It might help them to gain market share but I think they are big enough as it is.
buzz is good
but twitter is better
i think that's because twitter provides more API
It sounds like google is rapidly moving into the twitter and social app arena trying to keep twitter and facebook from trouncing them?
It is a cool feature, but it is far from a "twitter killer".
I do not use twitter at all and see no functional use for it. I have been to a couple of seminars that talk of it being the new way to beat googles Page Rank and get backlinks some how through twitter but that would require thousands of tweets it seems. Do you know how Google rates tweets?
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