Twitter Vs. Facebook Vs. Google Buzz

The battle of the networks continues; the only thing I think we can all agree on is that MySpace never really had a look in.

Now I've been a big fan of Google Buzz from its inception and though I have a great desire to see it succeed, I have a horrible feeling that it's lacking something.  Much the same way as Facebook is fundamentally lacking in its core purpose; social networking.

Perhaps a more apt label would be "Friend Networking"?  Come to think of it, maybe MySpace had it right, maybe these places are exactly that, "a place for friends".

Surely the whole point of Social Networking is to network...socially.  Buzz links you in with your current contacts, friends, family, colleagues etc. Facebook, similarly is a place where you're encouraged to engage with people after answering the question "do you know this person?".

So, are we 'networking', or are we 'staying in touch'?  Are the two even that far apart?

Conversely, Twitter is all about meeting new people.  Anyone who's been on Twitter for a while will be familiar with the #FollowFriday (#FF) concept, a Friday tradition where you have the opportunity to recommend an account (or accounts) that you follow, to your followers.

Of course, you don't have to pay any attention to a recommendation, but if you are looking to broaden your circle, it can be a great way to do so; someone you follow (who presumably you enjoy following) is recommending them, so there's a very good chance that you'll enjoy their ramblings too.

So, are these networks really in competition?  Perhaps in reality, they simply serve different purposes.

For now, I use Google Buzz to stay up to date with folks that are a little more on the forefront of Social Media; but will that really be the case going forward?  How long will it be until a new site is launched (Google Me is just around the corner), will that then become the 'cool corner'?

As time goes on, I lose patience with Facebook; their recent launch of Facebook Places left me yet again arguing with some faceless moron in "Facebook User Operations" explaining that I had in actual fact attached the information they had requested; this to me, really just sums up their attitude towards everything.

If the whole Social Network thing really were a race, where would you place your bet, is there a clear winner, or are you hedging your bets and sticking with them all?