In recent years, the Internet search company Google has observed with increasing concern the phenomenal growth of social networking and online messaging companies such as Facebook and Twitter. In 2010, Google introduced a social networking, blogging, and messaging tool called Buzz that was intended to directly compete with other social networking sites. Google claimed that its Buzz offered a number of advantages over competitive sites, such as no character limit on messages and a way to mine one's email to quickly build networks of friends. Despite its touted advantages, by November 2011 Buzz had failed to take off with consumers, and Google was considering whether to discontinue the service. According to a Google vice president, "During the initial development of Buzz, a high percentage of our R&D budget focused on creating unique features. If we scaled back those efforts and instead focused on issues relating to privacy concerns, Buzz could be successful and even recoup our initial investment" According to a Google marketing executive, "Google devoted so many tens of millions of dollars to developing and launching Buzz that the In recent years, the Internet search company Google has observed with increasing concern the phenomenal growth of social networking and online messaging companies such as Facebook and Twitter. In 2010, Google introduced a social networking, blogging, and messaging tool called Buzz that was intended to directly compete with other social networking sites. Google claimed that its Buzz offered a number of advantages over competitive sites, such as no character limit on messages and a way to mine one's email to quickly build networks of friends. Despite its touted advantages, by November 2011 Buzz had failed to take off with consumers, and Google was considering whether to discontinue the service. According to a Google vice president, "During the initial development of Buzz, a high percentage of our R&D budget focused on creating unique features. If we scaled back those efforts and instead focused on issues relating to privacy concerns, Buzz could be successful and even recoup our initial investment" According to a Google marketing executive, "Google devoted so many tens of millions of dollars to developing and launching Buzz that the