I’ve been checking in on location-based services Foursquare for over a year, and added Gowalla about six months ago. As a result, I’ve become rude, opened my life to danger, and donated my personal privacy to research.
First let me tell you my circumstances. I’m a woman of a certain age, widowed, living alone. In theory, I am at a point in my life where I should be respected. But when I walk into a meeting, a bar, a gym, a restaurant, the event or person I am there to see can never get my attention. I spend the first few minutes staring at my iPhone, searching for the name of the place we’re in and thinking of a clever tip to enter in Foursquare. Then I switch to Gowalla, where I pick up and drop off squirrels and watering cans and barbells. When my work is done, I look up at my angry companion, smile, and ask forgiveness.
Typically, that person (the barista, the gym attendant, the client, the old friend, the policeman who just stopped me) thinks I am rude and/or nuts.
Not only is it rude to use geo-location services in front of others, but it is dangerous. I’m careful 1)never to give away my home address or exact location 2) never to friend someone on these services that I don’t already know 3)never to say I’m on vacation for a few days out of town. But it’s not hard to figure all that out, even if you are NOT my friend. The data is there. While I choose not to live in fear of being robbed (two large barking dogs, one of whom has big teeth don’t hurt)m not everyone wants to spend $100 a month on dog food.
Last, my data will be mined. Last Friday night I went to the bachelor party of an old friend — part of the geek team of a tech company I co-founded ten years ago (it failed long ago). The corporate culture of the company was stellar, and the people have stayed connected, and this was the second bachelor party I’d been to. But the first was during a different era. Last night, normal people on Facebook with nothing to do on Friday night got to read about me pole dancing on a party bus, checking into a known night spot in Scottsdale, and then turning up in a strip club. Imagine if I were trying to get my old job at Intel back! (no way, Jose)
Worse, this will have future consequences. My data will be mined, as Tom Foremski points out, and from now on Facebook will serve me ads for Bourbon Street and Christie’s Cabaret.
Update: Jeremiah Owyang tells me Facebook itself is planning such a service:
The last time we updated the Privacy Policy, we included language describing a location feature we might build in the future. At that point, we thought the primary use would be to “add a location to something you post.” Now, we’ve got some different ideas that we think are even more exciting.So, we’ve removed the old language and, instead added the concept of a “place” that could refer to a Page, such as one for a local restaurant. As we finalize the product, we look forward to providing more details, including new privacy controls.
So much for the privacy of 400,000,000 normal people who don’t want the world to know they are hanging out in strip clubs.
Worst of all, as I always point out, if I were still married and wanted to have an affair, there would be no chance. Friends, fans, followers, and family, noticing that I had left the grid for an hour, would be sending the ambulances and police cars.
On balance, this addiction I’ve developed to checking in has no more positive value than any other addiction. One of these days, I will kick it. But probably not today. I have to check in one more time at the Washington dog park, where I am the Mayor.
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