This article in the New York Times talks about Google's new program known as Latitude. It is a variation on their previously released Dodgeball app. The program allows users to send information on their current location to their friends via cell phone and Google Maps. To me this program is exactly like the one that game out with the iPhone where users could do the exact same thing using the map function. There is also an app for the iPhone called Looped which lets the user update their location and status much like facebook while on the go.
Apple marketed these apps as a convenience tool so that users could quickly find if they had any friends in the area to meet up with for lunch or something to that effect. In the article Google comments on the potential security issues with using such a GPS based program. However, for me I think that the larger issue is WHO CARES?! I might seem a bit over the line but I do not get the point of apps like these. I never really understood the whole status thing on Facebook, so that is probably why I do not understand this. But, honestly it is a tad bit stalkerish to have people knowing what you are doing at every minute of everyday. Now on top of that people can also know where you are. WHY?
The way I see it, if you want to know where someone is to have lunch with them... call them, text them. Make it personal and invite them privately. I think it is entirely ubsurd that people find it necessary to let everyone know where they are and what they are doing all the time. Perhaps I am a little bit harsh, but I just don't see the point.
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