Alexandra Samuel blogs entertainingly for the Harvard Business Review on information and social media issues. In her quest for a ‘master rolodex’ she wonders why it is so difficult to synchronise her contacts and discovers that, as with so many things, it’s simple (to request), but it ain’t easy (to deliver!).

She speaks to Joseph Smarr, who moved from Plaxo to Google where he focuses on the social web. Smarr outlines the technological challenges, but urges consumers to pressure companies for change to make their data work and link how they want. When discussing Buzz, Smarr acknowledges that some people responded with surprise and dismay. In February 2010, Phil Bradley blogged that Google had failed to understand that a good social media product should be designed first and foremost to make the user’s life easier and that Buzz was a failure in this respect. Only six weeks later, he reports how interest in Buzz has fallen sharply and that he is continuing to rely on tried, tested and trusted Facebook and Twitter.

And the wait for a synching tool continues.