Certain Habits

The interwebs are buzzing with speculation about Google Buzz, the social networking service built on Gmail—and other Google Apps—that integrates features of a number of social networks in one, real-time life stream.

The response has been all over the map. There have been (now somewhat addressed) privacy concerns. Fred Wilson, interesting as usual, argues that Buzz tries to do too many things. Better to do one thing well than most things middling. Meanwhile, Jason Calcanis views it as a big success that might already have derailed Facebook’s IPO. And CounterNotions investigates what Google’s ultimate strategy may be.

What Buzz is isn’t as interesting to me, though, as what it, or something like it, could mean for how we interact with our information, other people and advertising. Kit Eaton, writing for Fast Company, imagines what Buzz might mean for mobile advertising:

2:15 p.m.. Lunch. The local Buzz-linked McDonald’s Buzzes you and asks “Are you hungry for a Big Mac? You liked it last week. Or maybe you’re in the mood for our lunchtime hangover cure special: A baconburger?” A local gymnasium ad pops up next, with a special sign-up deal for new members valid for an hour, and a note that two of your work colleagues go there already–one of whom you’re friends with and the other of whom is more senior, as Buzz is careful to remind you.

The intriguing (and somewhat scary) thought? Most, if not all, the technology required to target ads at this level of specificity, already exists. Brute-force statistics plus machine learning plus the power and ambition of a company like Google could make scenarios like this a reality and much sooner than more futuristic aspects of “Minority Report” may make it seem. If Google doesn’t make that future a reality, someone else will.