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Sweet stalkability
April 27, 2008
So there’s this new thing called brightkite.
Let me start by saying I know some people who still aren’t sold on Twitter. A year ago, when the majority of my friends didn’t understand blogging outside of MySpace, I really didn’t touch it. Since then, though, those statistics have completely flipped, and now it’s a major form of communication among my favorite people.
Brightkite takes it a little bit further. Thanks to Woy, I was sent an invitation this morning, and after clicking around for a while, discovered that it was a lot like Twitter, except that you’re able to pinpoint specific locations and upload pictures via web or cell.
For example, if I’m in, say, Pittsburgh, not only can I “check in” there, and upload text about the city, and email photos of it to the site, I can also see a list of people who were (or are) there, and their past notes about the place, and their previously-sent pictures.
It can be narrowed down to the convenience store on the corner.
I think it’s cool to be able to capture quick memories, in words and pictures, in real time (also possibly allowing for easier, more detailed/accessible blogging later). It also seems like it would be useful for traveling, especially to remember the less-well-known places. There’s also a text command which will send you a rundown of friends that are in the neighborhood (you choose the radius) at that moment (although I suspect this would only work sufficiently if people constantly added every place or building they were in at any given moment).
But I can also see how that could lead to SMS unpleasantness.
Dude 1: “Hey dude, saw that you were at Friday’s on McKnight Road with a few hot ladies. Want me to swing on over?”
Dude 2 (apprehensive online acquaintance): “Well, no, not really.”
But this isn’t really a product review.
I went to a local pizza shop this afternoon, and after plugging in the name on the site, and stating that it’s my second-favorite pizza in the city, a message was also sent out on Twitter, with a (small) link to this image, which includes not only the address of the place, but a map of the streets and intersection:
I’m not entirely sure how often I would do this while I’m actually sitting at the location. It seems like a little too much info to be sharing with everyone, and I’m anxious enough as it is. Of course there are multiple privacy options, but still, I think I’ll be holding off on sending the coordinates of my exact position to the world until a little while after I peace out.
Out of your comfort zone?
Categories: Daily
April 27th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I’ve been playing with BrightKite too. I’m probably less concerned than you are about letting people know where I am, although i have no reason to be.
I’ve been thinking about using brightKite for work, to let people know where I am — like, which library or coffeeshop. I don’t really expect clients to suddenly drop in, but I think they’d be mildly interested, and it would be a visual way to show this virtual, nomad life.
I ran into a problem Friday though, because I was scheduled to give a presentation at a client site. I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to let the world know who the client was; probably wouldn’t matter, but then what if suddenly it did.
Anyway, because I work at home and then sometimes go places I don’t want to tell the world about, it has looked like I’ve been sitting at home since Thursday midnight. I’m kind of a hermit, but not that much.
Also, because Google believes my home is the office of Big Big Design (which it is, in addition to being my home), I look like I’m at work 24/7. I suppose that’s kind of true too, but I feel weird broadcasting it.
So: I’m out of my comfort zone too, but in different ways.
April 27th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Hmm, it does seem interesting as a travel help, or just another way to see what your friends are doing, but I would be wary of telling the internet my exact location at any time. I follow a couple of people on twitter who regularly tweet the coffee shop where they are sitting or where they are going that night and that sort of thing makes me nervous. I already have people who “stalk” my website, I can assume that they are just normal people who don’t comment, but they could be ax murderers for all I know. Can’t make it too easy for them. ;)
April 27th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
The first bit is that we’re making it really difficult for ourselves to get lost.
I like getting lost. This is a wonderful city for it. It’s something that works on all scales for me; I can start walking, biking, or driving, and on any given day with the appropriate whim, I can (re)try a different route, and (re)discover. It seems like BrightKite is a powerful tool for taking notes of such adventures, but it’s a tether, too, and I’ve found that the best trips into the wild are as unencumbered as possible, with few things to distract. I miss less of the small stuff that way. A pleasant side effect of this is that I sit down and write about the good stuff later, benefitting from something of an editorial process.
The second bit; well.
As I pointed out on Twitter, I’d likely want to push updates that are outright lies about half the time (never mind the alibi possibilities here, for a moment).
And within minutes, the good folks at BrightKite sent back a tweet that I could.
April 27th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
You’re one of several friends who have started using Brightkite in the last week or so, and while I think it’s a cool thing, it isn’t something I’d pick up, mostly out of deference to The Wife. Over the years I’ve developed a decent sense of what she’s comfortable with, in terms of how much of our lives show up on the internet, although I occasionally still step over the line; I’m completely certain that posting our exact location at any given moment would be a big no-no.
I’m totally with you on Sir Pizza, by the way; in fact, I just finished the leftovers from Friday’s dinner there about an hour ago. What’s your favorite?
April 28th, 2008 at 8:21 am
I think BriteKite is a little too far out of my comfort zone–especially with my tendency to attract psychopaths and stalkers. A very good friend of mine who is a police officer saw that I had updates from Twitter on my sites and ranted until he convinced me that it might be better if I don’t put them there. On Twitter is one thing, but on places like MySpace and Facebook… you just don’t know what brand of crazy you’ll attract.
I *would* be interested in using it when I travel, though. I think that would be an excellent way of keeping family and friends notified about where you are on the trip, what you’re doing… like mini-postcards!
I’ll have to think about it more…
April 28th, 2008 at 8:56 am
I’m not comfortable with this. I think people have lost a proper sense of modesty, privacy, and humility. Why must the world know what I’m doing and where I am 24/7? Am I that important? Besides, I think it opens people up to not only stalking but also blackmailing and blacklisting. Employers are getting more savvy about social media every day. I’m probably not as careful about what I say on the net as I should be, and I’m not remotely as exposed as someone like Robert Scoble.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Nope. Uncomfortable.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I’m a bit disgruntled about Eric’s use of the phrase “a proper sense of modesty, privacy, and humility.” Different groups have different ideas about what’s proper, so I think it’s inappropriate (hah!) to say there’s some “proper sense” we have lost.
Further, on the Internet everyone has the opportunity to opt. If you don’t care where I am or what I’m doing, you can choose not to see my updates. Meanwhile, someone might care (hi Mom!), and she has the opportunity to check in on me whenever she likes. Importance is in the mind of the follower.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Cynthia - I agree with you on that. It does seem that people in general have extremely varying opinions on what should and shouldn’t go online. I remember being very skeptical about putting my last name, or picture, on a blog, and while my involvement with the internet has progressed well beyond that point, there is a majority of people who are still back where I started, and I can see why they would feel a certain way about this sort of personal disclosure.
Uncle Crappy - Just pepperoni for me!
April 28th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Some of the people that I follow on twitter have started to use brightkite and I have to admit, just reading their exact location (and sometimes their home address) has made me a bit uncomfortable. I know I can be trusted with that detailed information, but how do THEY know that? It just seems like a bit too much for my liking.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Too personal. I don’t think I want people to know where I am at all times.
“Oh look, now I know where Eric lives! I think I’ll drop by!”
I’m open to visitors but, SORRY, not THAT open!
In this day and age where there is such a concern about safety from the kooks in the world, why in the world would there be the need to make it possible for the kooks to find out your exact location at any given moment? The FBI? Well ok, but kooks? No!
April 28th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Eric, it’s fine if you don’t want people to know where you are. Don’t sign up. Problem solved.
What I’m curious about is whether you think it’s a bad thing if other people sign up. If I want to tell the world where I am, that’s fine, right?
April 28th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Oh, one more thought about the kooks: If I announce on the web where I am, the kooks and FBI may know, but so will everyone else. So if I go missing, it’ll be that much easier to find me — you’ll all be able to pinpoint my last known location. :)
April 28th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
That actually scares me. I think I’ll stick to not being stalked.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I really enjoyed this comment discussion. My brightkite updates were some of the examples that Rachel put up and I was at first taken aback by them appearing on the blog of someone I’ve never even met in cyberspace. Then I realized that I do update a lot and my updates are bound to show up when someone looks at the public updates page. The only comments I have to make about privacy issues are that first of all, if you are freaked out about the transparency brightkite seems to bring to your life, you don’t have to sign up. The nice thing about it is that you don’t have to sign up and broadcast your locations, but you can still see mine on Twitter (if you follow me.) The other thing about Brightkite is that you don’t have to be truthful about where you are. I don’t put my real address when I check in at home, just the zip code. I’ll often update with the address of businesses that I’m visiting or when I’m at work but these places are in general public areas. If someone wanted to stalk me, they could do it just as easily when they see me sitting at the reference desk at work. Someone could say that Brightkite may make it easier but the internet does that in almost every way that we use it. That’s why it’s so great.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Rachel: Pepperoni and onion. And I’m curious: if Sir Pizza is second best in town, who’s the winner?
Everyone else: OK. I want to see what this is about, and I think I can make it useful without pissing off those I shouldn’t. If you have a spare invite, could I get one?
April 28th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Wow. You guys are quick. Thanks.
April 29th, 2008 at 8:48 am
onengardner - Maybe I should’ve mentioned that you don’t *have* to give out your exact coordinates when updating. I like brightkite for the fact that it does a little more than Twitter, or is perhaps even a nice compliment. I like the fact that you can upload pictures on the fly, and a link is automatically (if set up) sent to Twitter.
Uncle Crappy - I’m partial to Monte Cello’s.
April 29th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
It sounds kind of cool. I don’t think I would be too comfortable with that though.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Cynthia, perhaps I am too quick to determine whether or not BrightKite would be right for me. I currently don’t have the proper, up-to-date means to connect to it. However, I think such a thing is appropriate in certain situations. Such as, between a parent’s cellphone and that of a teenager out alone for the first time. Perhaps on a long roadtrip between someone and a friend/relative with whom they are connected.
Now, if there is a way to control how your location is identified - and some of you have said things that make it seem like it’s possible -then fine.
I guess, even at 31, I’m a little old fashioned.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Oooh! Very cool. Technology is getting creepier and creepier by the minute. I think it sounds like a good idea though!
April 30th, 2008 at 11:17 am
soooo, the technology these days in INSANE. i think it’s a great idea for like, business purposes… if you’re going to a meeting or something like that, but for day to day just letting everyone know where i am when i’m there? scary…
May 1st, 2008 at 10:08 am
Cynthia, I agree that people are and should be free to opt in or out as desired. I also agree that “proper” is in the mind of the beholder. I wonder, though, when it became taboo to discuss what should be proper in general society. A lot of people seem to be so politically correct and relativistic that large-scale value judgments of any kind are met with disgust and disdain. (I don’t mean to attribute all of that to Cynthia specifically, but her comment brought the image to mind.)
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:33 pm
[...] was brought to these thoughts by a recent post at ThatNight about Brightkite. Rachel asks if broadcasting our locations multiple times a day is outside of our comfort zones. I [...]
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I don’t have a comment on Brightkite, but I must say being a pizza afficianado, you now are forcing me to try Sir Pizza. I’ve driven by there many times but now I will have to stop.