Well, after only using it a bit, here's the good, the bad, and the ugly (yes, there's ugly already) so far….

First, of course, if you want to buzz me, here's where you can find me: Nicole Dean on Google Buzz.

Begin feedback….

Interruption Based Chatting – And, How to Fix It.

I use my gmail account — a lot. So, I was not thrilled to discover that every time I received a comment on a buzz, that it would burst into my face – or at least into my inbox. I'm not a big fan of allowing anyone– even those I love — to interrupt my focus.

So, I set out to figure out how to “filter” the Buzz to a place where I was in charge instead of Google.

Problem #1. Filters in Google are normally quite good, but there's no “from” person for Buzz and no common filter info.

So, here's how I solved it.

1. Go to “Settings” in your Gmail. (Upper right hand corner of screen.)

2. Click on “Filters”  (Fourth tab). If you aren't using them – USE them. Click “New Filter”.

3. Enter info as shown. Click “Next Step”.

4. Enter info as shown. The important thing is to mark “SKIP INBOX”.

5. CHECK where it says “Apply filter to # conversations below” and make sure you're not moving a bunch of conversations. Click “Update Filter” if you're happy with the filtering.

Now wasn't that easy?

To Pull Your Feeds or Not to Pull your feeds into Google Buzz?

So, my first impression was bad. Then, I looked into my “Buzz line” or whatever it's called where I can see what people are talking about and all I saw were Tweets being pulled in from Twitter. STRIKE two.

My gut didn't like the idea of pulling in all my feeds. I didn't see the benefit for my followers. So, I asked for feedback.

Here's my Buzz Stream from today. Tell me what you think:

I posted this…

|8:26 amNicole Dean – Buzz

Debating whether or not to link my Tweets in here.

Leaning towards “no” as I'm not caring to see others tweets clouding up my buzz and distracting me from real conversation.

BUT it would be nice to have some pulled in just to share.

Thoughts? This sounds like a problem that can be solved in the shower. I'm off to enjoy one.

The feedback was a resounding “NO thank you” from Warren Whitlock, Kelly McCausey, and Odinn Sorensen! I agree.

My Verdict after Using Google Buzz Today?

So, I'm hooked after a few things happened.

I had the opportunity to turn Buzz into something that I can manage.

I had the JOY of having longer conversations than I could on Twitter.

And, I had the pleasure of interacting quicker with my friends than I normally can on Facebook.

WILL I let Google Buzz cost me money by killing my productivity? Nah. I'm too determined and stubborn for that. And, now that it's skipping my inbox, I have another way to reward myself for getting things done. I suggest you do the same.

Will Google Buzz replace Twitter? I doubt it. BUT it's another opportunity to connect with people, so it really doesn't matter either way. If you feel you can benefit, try it out. If not, then skip it for now and focus on what is currently working for you.

If, you try it and then you decide that Google Buzz is not for you…

Here's how to cancel.  Log into Gmail. Scroll down. Keep scrolling until you reach the bottom. You'll see in teeny, tiny letters “Turn off Buzz”. That's it.

Hope this helps! Again, please follow me on Buzz. Here's where I am: Nicole Dean on Google Buzz.

Nicole