Yahoo Buzz, is definitely interesting. However with that said it isn't much to it in regards to social media or social news. Sure, you can "buzz up" or "buzz down" (vote up or down) an item as a registered user.

The problem is though, that is where the social part stops. Yahoo Buzz is still basically a one way communication with the users. There isn't much in the way of two-way communication or participation happening.

Until Yahoo opens up Buzz more and allow more user participation it is destined to be yet another news site with a couple of bells and whistles.

I do honestly believe that if Yahoo were to allow submissions by users (the public) it could stir more interest and more traffic and more return visits.

Currently Yahoo Buzz, isn't much different than the regular Yahoo news or Google news, so why would anyone break their normal surfing routine to see the same content on a different area of Yahoo? I don't see it happening, at least by any noticeable means.

Even Google news will pull news from sources other than big media. I know as my Designer Today news gets pulled every few minutes by Google news (kind of makes me wonder when Google news will become a full-blown social news destination). Bet you won't see the Designer Today news items being included in Yahoo Buzz. It's not my fault that Yahoo or Yahoo Buzz doesn't include it. It's because Yahoo is so closed. Nothing more, nothing less.

Locking submissions to only certain high profile sites, is nothing more than a proverbial circle-jerk between news destination giants and news media portals. It's pretty much an elitist alpha male mentality happening on Yahoo Buzz.

One thing that Mixx, Digg, Reddit and Newsvine and the other variations of these sites has working to their advantage is that all of them encourage visitor participation beyond voting news items up or down. Everyone can participate (submissions, comment and voting), and that is ultimately a good thing.

Social media and networking is about two way communication and participation. Yahoo, seems to have the air of traditional TV and print, that being a top down, one way form of communication. Users want to be part of something (hence why social networking is so popular). As humans it is in our genes to be sociable.

I personally don't care a whole lot about the ability to comment on items unless it is something I am *very* interested in or that I have a strong opinion about, but it would open up the communication barrier if *all* users could submit news items.

I bet if you were to take Yahoo Buzz and make it completely separate it from the Yahoo portal (a standalone destination and a non Yahoo URL), it would sink like the Titanic.

All you have to do is take a quick look at Mixx, Reddit, Digg and Newsvine traffic to see that indeed more involved user participation does work.

Just think for a moment. How many times have you seen something about Yahoo Buzz in social media since it was launched to the public? There doesn't seem to be much "buzz" about Yahoo Buzz.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the more involved a user is the more traffic and return visits a site will have. Merely voting up or down and article isn't going to cut it in social media or social news.

What's your opinion of Yahoo! Buzz?

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