Google slammed over Facebook-chasing 'Buzz'

Gmail users are able to post Facebook-style status updates with Google's new 'Buzz' feature.

Google is being widely slammed over its new Facebook-chasing social features called Buzz.

Google Buzz enables Gmail users to create status updates on Google Buzz, or read and comment on friends' update postings.

It will enable users to share video, photos and links to content, just as users can on Facebook and Twitter.

Making a direct assault on those two kings of the Web 2.0 world is ambitious, even for Google.

Facebook currently boasts more than 400 million worldwide users and industry estimates put Twitter's user base at up to 25 million.

The reaction to the Buzz announcement has been swift - even Microsoft has made the unusual move of taking a public swing at it, possibly influenced by its own stake in Facebook.

"Busy people don't want another social network, what they want is the convenience of aggregation," Microsoft said in a statement. "We've done that. Hotmail customers have benefitted from Microsoft working with Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and 75 other partners since 2008."

BusinessInsider has labelled Buzz as late, boring and lame.

Techcrunch ran an email from Yahoo shortly after Google's big reveal at an event in San Francisco that pointed out Yahoo's social goodies, which were launched nearly 18 months ago.

Yahoo also fired out a cheeky tweet: "Two years after #Yahoo! launched #Buzz, Google follows suit. Check out the original: buzz.yahoo.com"

Buzz will also be available for smart phones.

It is gradually being rolled out to all users of Google's mail service.