Google Latitude = Orwell was right

[K.C.]

I want to preface this by saying that I've been a Google fan for a long time. They've revolutionized so much and produced some genuinely interesting things.

That said, the introduction of Google Latitude (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/04/google.latitude/index.html) is downright scary.

It allows you to track your friends' locations on a map on your Blackberry.

WHY????!!!!

Jesus Christ, what the hell happened to privacy in this world? We now live in a society where everyone takes cameras everywhere they go, there's camera on all the street corners, you can visually view anywhere in the world from your laptop, and people emotionally prostitute themselves by revealing some of their most personal things on Facebook and Twitter.

I can't possibly be the only person who see's the problem with this.

You can't say we weren't warned:

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o250/bjmarsala/1984book2.jpg

Now I have to go hide. I believe posting this qualifies as a thought-crime

[MacVittie]

No one says that you have to carry a cell phone. When the gov't mandates tracking device implantation, then it will be 1984. If you want a phone and don't want to be tracked, get a burner.

[K.C.]

No one says that you have to carry a cell phone. When the gov't mandates tracking device implantation, then it will be 1984. If you want a phone and don't want to be tracked, get a burner.

The fact that there's such a demand for this type of stuff is the problem.

Privacy has ceased to exist, and everyone seems ok with that.

[Don Stugots]

there are a few iphone apps like this. i know twitterfon does it to for you.

[Hottub]

Nobody is forcing you to download the app, or to give your information to anyone.
It's a slick little program. I think I may try it.

[K.C.]

Nobody is forcing you to download the app, or to give your information to anyone.
It's a slick little program. I think I may try it.

That's not entirely true.

How long before businesses start utilizing this with their company phones?

At my job currently, whenever you use a company car, they track every portion of the ride through the car's GPS to make sure you're not 'misusing' the vehicle for other purposes.

It won't be long before this is integrated into the business world and people ARE forced to use it.

[weekapaugjz]

That's not entirely true.

How long before businesses start utilizing this with their company phones?

At my job currently, whenever you use a company car, they track every portion of the ride through the car's GPS to make sure you're not 'misusing' the vehicle for other purposes.

It won't be long before this is integrated into the business world and people ARE forced to use it.

so companies looking after their property is an invasion of privacy?

[Don Stugots]

That's not entirely true.

How long before businesses start utilizing this with their company phones?

At my job currently, whenever you use a company car, they track every portion of the ride through the car's GPS to make sure you're not 'misusing' the vehicle for other purposes.

It won't be long before this is integrated into the business world and people ARE forced to use it.

last company i worked for used it to keep track of their "'phones". a few people got asked "what are you doing at home so early?"

[Hottub]

They'll never catch A.J.:smoke:

[K.C.]

so companies looking after their property is an invasion of privacy?

No, companies monitoring your every move is creepy.

And my main issue with this is more societal than business.

I can't grasp why people would want to
a) track their friends' every move
b) want their every move tracked by their friends.

And especially b).

Like Ronnie said the other day...if this put me in Blowhard land, then I'm ready to take my seat on that bench and talk about the 70s (even though I wasn't even born until the mid-80s).

[DolaMight]

Congratulations, your unwarranted paranoia has won you a complimentary shit hat courtesy of google.

http://kuvaton.com/kuvei/best_hat_ever.jpg

[Knowledged_one]

Just start sending text messages of a clock that will confuse them unless they crack the code

[DolaMight]

this is more invasive than google cock cam, a view of the world in first penis perspective. They totally ripped of gynocam.

[SatCam]

the fact that you think people would find you interesting enough to track where you are is intriguing...........

[Recyclerz]

...
Like Ronnie said the other day...if this put me in Blowhard land, then I'm ready to take my seat on that bench and talk about the 70s (even though I wasn't even born until the mid-80s).

I'm afraid that the '70's weren't all that big on privacy either:
The Conversation (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071360/)

Like Ronnie also says we can't go backwards on technology so people who care about civil liberties are going to have to rethink their concept of privacy given what is possible these days. And if Google is giving this away for free imagine what the gov't still has under wraps. We're going to have to update our thinking on this subject from the days of Patrick Henry and Thoreau.

[SP1!]

But its so convenient!

[PapaBear]

That's not entirely true.

How long before businesses start utilizing this with their company phones?

At my job currently, whenever you use a company car, they track every portion of the ride through the car's GPS to make sure you're not 'misusing' the vehicle for other purposes.

It won't be long before this is integrated into the business world and people ARE forced to use it.

so companies looking after their property is an invasion of privacy?

last company i worked for used it to keep track of their "'phones". a few people got asked "what are you doing at home so early?"
Exactly. Most trucking companies have GPS tracking, too. It's their equipment. As long as they aren't holding back the fact that they track you, what's the big deal?

[Aqualad]

Jesus Christ, what the hell happened to privacy in this world? We now live in a society where everyone takes cameras everywhere they go, there's camera on all the street corners, you can visually view anywhere in the world from your laptop, and people emotionally prostitute themselves by revealing some of their most personal things on Facebook and Twitter.

I can't possibly be the only person who see's the problem with this.



That's how they get ya- cloak all the surveillance in "social networking" and "fighting terrorism" and watch everybody willingly get in line.

But won't someone PLEASE think about the children??????

[Coach]

They have had something like this in certain phones for about 5 years..people could track the phone via computer..I saw it marketed on the Today show as a means to make sure your teen or spouse wasn't up to shenanigans. I have no doubt that certain businesses have been using it since then as well. Another feature of such a phone was that it secretly took pictures and turned on secretly and acted as a microphone sending both directly to the computer of the person paying the bill.

[Don Stugots]

I just installed it. I will try it out if I don't like I will not use it. No biggie.

[A.J.]

They'll never catch A.J.:smoke:

Goddamn right!

[Hottub]

I loaded it. On Blackberry and my iGoogle. I am currently stalking Stugots & Phishy.

*edit*
Stugots is near the tunnel looking for some head, I think.

[K.C.]

I like how no one answered my comment about why people feel compelled to the type of emotional and social prostitution that goes on with all these 'networking' apps, and why it's a good thing.

But carry on insinuating that it's just crazy talk...

[Hottub]

I've been typing my heart and soul out here for over 6 years.
Made some pretty good friends too.

My facebook, my twitter, my Latitude...

Pretty much the same people. People I enjoy talking with, hanging with, but don't get to see in person all that often. These apps bring us a little bit closer together when time and geography do not permit it.

How's that?

[K.C.]

I've been typing my heart and soul out here for over 6 years.
Made some pretty good friends too.

My facebook, my twitter, my Latitude...

Pretty much the same people. People I enjoy talking with, hanging with, but don't get to see in person all that often. These apps bring us a little bit closer together when time and geography do not permit it.

How's that?

And that makes sense, because like you said, it's with people you've been getting to know people over a period of six years.

But I'd say you're a minority compared to the majority of people using that stuff.

I'm not opposed to people socially networking with their friends. I'm more opposed to people willingly revealing intimate details and basically providing a gateway to their lives to complete and total strangers.


And yes, I get that I'm posting this on a message board with complete and total strangers. But, there's a complete difference between that, and the information strangers have access to in these networking thing.

And I'd be completely fine with the explanation 'I carefully monitor and manage it.'

But most people DON'T do that.

Even something like PalTalk...I can sign on PalTalk express right now, go to the Ron & Fez room and pull up people's cams and literally watch people just go about their life if I chose to do that, despite them having no clue who I am, or anyone without a cam up in there, for that matter.

I just don't see why someone is compelled to do it.

I'm more interested in understanding it, than attacking it, if anything, but I would like to hear some rationale for it.

[cougarjake13]

im paraphrasing




"so this is how privacy ends, with thunderous applause ??"

[Don Stugots]

And that makes sense, because like you said, it's with people you've been getting to know people over a period of six years.

But I'd say you're a minority compared to the majority of people using that stuff.

I'm not opposed to people socially networking with their friends. I'm more opposed to people willingly revealing intimate details and basically providing a gateway to their lives to complete and total strangers.


And yes, I get that I'm posting this on a message board with complete and total strangers. But, there's a complete difference between that, and the information strangers have access to in these networking thing.

And I'd be completely fine with the explanation 'I carefully monitor and manage it.'

But most people DON'T do that.

Even something like PalTalk...I can sign on PalTalk express right now, go to the Ron & Fez room and pull up people's cams and literally watch people just go about their life if I chose to do that, despite them having no clue who I am, or anyone without a cam up in there, for that matter.

I just don't see why someone is compelled to do it.

I'm more interested in understanding it, than attacking it, if anything, but I would like to hear some rationale for it.

KC, its not much different than posting here or on twitter. This is not the first app to do this. Just the latest.

Tub went from work to home. no stops in between.

[Hottub]

KC, its not much different than posting here or on twitter. This is not the first app to do this. Just the latest.

Tub went from work to home. no stops in between.

WRONG!!!!

I stopped for a six pack, you creepy stalker!

You were home before 4:00 slacker!

[Don Stugots]

WRONG!!!!

I stopped for a six pack, you creepy stalker!

You were home before 4:00 slacker!

i usually am. they get enough out of me from 7AM till whenever i feel like leaving. pricks.

[Recyclerz]

And that makes sense, because like you said, it's with people you've been getting to know people over a period of six years.

But I'd say you're a minority compared to the majority of people using that stuff.

I'm not opposed to people socially networking with their friends. I'm more opposed to people willingly revealing intimate details and basically providing a gateway to their lives to complete and total strangers.


And yes, I get that I'm posting this on a message board with complete and total strangers. But, there's a complete difference between that, and the information strangers have access to in these networking thing.

And I'd be completely fine with the explanation 'I carefully monitor and manage it.'

But most people DON'T do that.

Even something like PalTalk...I can sign on PalTalk express right now, go to the Ron & Fez room and pull up people's cams and literally watch people just go about their life if I chose to do that, despite them having no clue who I am, or anyone without a cam up in there, for that matter.

I just don't see why someone is compelled to do it.

I'm more interested in understanding it, than attacking it, if anything, but I would like to hear some rationale for it.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nTJHjuhCYos&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nTJHjuhCYos&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

(Yes, I picked the cheesiest version I could find.)


I'm convinced that there is a human gene that we developed over the years that has the latent property of making some people desire notoriety and that we are noticing it only over the last 100 years or so since the advent of mass communications media.

Either that or there are a lot of bad parents that gave their kids so little attention that it turned them into li'l exhibitionists.

But I'm seriously leaning towards the former.