One Buzz Too Many

In case you hadn’t heard there’s a buzz on the internet. OK I am sorry but the pun had to be said. Google Buzz is out there and ignoring the uproar over its privacy settings or whether Google have implemented the features we want, is this an opportunity for internet marketing and do we need another inbox?

The techies are chatting like mad about it but what about the rest of us, what is Google Buzz? Well I’m not sure I can answer that question right now. At its simplest level, it’s another Twitter, which integrates into your Gmail account. Google would have us believe it’s the simplest way to “Share updates, photos, videos and more. Start conversations about the things that you find interesting.” Now I am a rapid internet fan, but even I am thinking, is this one inbox too many? Do I really need another place to check for information about what people eat for breakfast?
I just did a quick tot up of places that the average person might check or update at least once a day.

• Work email.
• Personal email.
• Social Website, such as Facebook.
• Live steam, such as Twitter or Friend Feed.
• News reader, such as Google reader.

That’s five inboxes for even the most average internet user before we get onto photo sites, such as Flickr.com. Personal interest sites, such as hobbies blogs, or any other source I have missed. A quick tot up and I check through over ten different avenues of information a day. So in answer to my own question, we don’t need another inbox. What we need is a one stop place for the lot to read and post to. Ultimately that might be what Google are trying to do with Buzz and its integration into Gmail, but if that is the case it’s not there right now. So leave the techies to buzz around for now. Google are doing this, so I’m sure it will become something big moving forward. Let us all hope that it is that one inbox we all need.