In the first few days upon its release, Google's entry into social media has been taking it in the chin. Buzz has been lambasted mainly for its privacy follies --- it pretty much corrals your friends the second you're inside the tent --- but critics like Jeff Jarvis also cite its basic functionality.

Late Saturday Google made some key modifications and pleas for tolerance. Its official Gmail blog says users now will merely have a suggested list of followers; those who tripped into a big network will get a second chance to build a leaner one.

Picasa and Google Reader albums won't automatically be mixed in with Buzz, and you'll be able to hide Buzz or never use it because a tab is being introduced in Gmail.

"We quickly realized that we didn't get everything quite right. We're very sorry for the concern we've caused and have been working hard ever since to improve things based on your feedback. We'll continue to do so," author Todd Jackson writes