Robert Scoble argues that requiring users to post their true location in geolocation apps is an “antifeature” because it freaks people out. Users want control over where they say they are and want the option to be “fuzzy” about it–for instance, say they’re in San Diego versus a specific neighborhood or street. For instance, Scoble checks into the Ritz hotel near his home on Foursquare when he’s home. He writes:
One part of a location-based game is presenting people as you’d like others to see you. It’s a lot more interesting to check in at the Ritz every night than my actual home address, which, to tell you the truth, I’d be a little freaked out to report to everyone (and if I’m freaked out, imagine how freaked out the average user is).
I agree with Scoble wholeheartedly. I always say I live “in San Diego,” which is true, but also comfortably vague. A quick, unscientific poll I ran on Twitter (which you can vote on here) shows that many are freaked out by geolocation features in general.
A word to Twitter client developers taking advantage of Twitter’s imminent geolocation features: Allow your users to “fuzz” their location when they tweet, and say they’re at the Ritz or the nearby coffee shop when they’re really at home or at the office. It’ll make folks feel more comfortable by giving them more control of their privacy and anonymity, even if it makes your data a little less true.
7 Comments
sathishpaul
Hi Gina,
Users in general get freaked out when anyone comes close to determining where they really are. Isnt this why Google’s latitude feature in the igoogle homepage didnt take off quite well? (as far as I know). But the difference there is, google actually lets you say where you are, instead of figuring out by itself (not sure how easy that one is).
Just my $0.02.
-Paul
Marco
I live in a X place in Latin America, but I don’t like the webpages determinates my real location, I get freaked out. Also I want to browse free with US, UK, France, Netherlands, Germany IP.
Marco
andidigress
i can’t WAIT to get in on gps in twitter. only users who know what’s going on will use this function and i would imagine those people would be smart enough to know the risks and how to disable temporarily. i use latitude but it doesn’t keep track of the past (i wish it did!). when i go on a trip, i want to be track my movements on the fly and then compile them later on and this would be perfect. i have no reticence to have the cloud know where i am and am positively excited about the possibilities!
tapenoisediary.com/
I will never get why updating your physical location has cached on. I mean, I can see the utility in updating you’re “friends” on where you’re at. They’re probably close by, and you can meet up and say hi. But I think the classic “meet up” works better for that kind of thing.
Besides finding it really freaky, I think it would be pretty awkward when someone that follows you that you don’t follow back(twitter for example) says hi, “I’m Douglas_32” when you’re really not expecting.
Thomas Fischer
Thanks for the good concise thoughts on geolocation.
The issue however is much more complex. GSM Operators have been wanting to get geolocation apps out the door for close to 10 years now. It has never been a technical problem but more of a policy and law issue.
For instance here in Europe there are an extensive set of privacy laws that forbid operators from suing geolocation data without an explicit «ok» from the user. A number of the current iPhone geolocation apps will eventually face some enormous legal challenges once something happens to somebody who uses it intentionally or not.
hotrao
I’m quite scared about geolocation and at the same time excited.
Fears comes mainly from the fact that in the world today, God only knows the use that can be made from geolocation (BTW: fears doesn’t come because I need to hide something, but mainly because I have no control on what others can do with this informations).
Excitement comes from possible uses (example: 911, first aid, finding missing people, testimonies,…).
The problem is not geolocation itself, that, like any other technology is an “enabler”, but as I said before, is the use being made: going digital is great, abusing of technology is quite stupid.
This post as a comment also at
http://ictheworld.wordpress.com
ChrisBrinkworth
Totally room for a virtual “PO Box” address business here. 😉