The BBC have recently been trialling a new version of their homepage and asking for feedback. One part of the summary of the comments they have had so far gives an interesting perspective on the current homepage: "Less than a third of users used customization features, and two thirds of this engagement comprised a simple change to location". So, if my maths is correct, that means around 90% of the visitors to bbc.co.uk did not use the homepage personalisation features beyond setting their location. It turns out that most users are not interested in personalising a webpage. They either don't realise they can, don't think it would be useful or can't be bothered.

A few years ago the BBC were very enthusiastic about personalisation, with Tony Ageh, the BBC internet controller, saying: "Enabling users to organise components of the homepage around the subjects that are most important to them increases its value and relevance". However, it has never caught on. The vast majority of users did not take to dragging and dropping customized modules of content to create web pages. With online attention spans dwindling, users want websites that are compelling and involving almost instantly. They have no time for, and little interest in, creating a personalised view.

It should be noted, however, that the remaining 10% of users who did customise bbc.co.uk is still a lot of people considering the numbers involved. In fact, that 10% are most likely to be tech savvy heavy internet users. Just the kind of group who can have a disproportionately loud voice online. Ignore at your peril, BBC.

Since the advent of social media users have come to expect a totally personalised web experience. They spend most of their time on sites full of content created by them and their friends. News stories, the latest film reviews, what to watch on TV, are all shared by the virtual community. They no longer need to spend time setting up a customised widget on a homepage to show them the web they are interested in, it comes to them effortlessly through online sharing of personal recommendations.

By using the huge amounts of user data stored by companies such as Facebook, the whole process of personalising a website can be automated. This, of course, raises all kinds of issues of who shares what data with whom and privacy and security matters, but it is technically possible. Imagine logging in to bbc.co.uk with your Facebook, Twitter or Google+ account. From your tweets, likes and +1s, the site would know an awful lot about you. Already, with the development of geolocation features in modern desktop and mobile browsers, basic settings such as 'change my location', the one that the BBC found to be the most popular, can be automatically set. Websites can, potentially, know who you are, where you are and could find out what you would like to see. You no longer have to tell them.

If users cannot be bothered with personalisation, maybe in the future they won't need to be. It will be done for them.