Geocoded location based networking awareness... or something like that
Twitter's announcement today about adding a Geolocation API goes to show how location-centric apps are trying to become the next big thing. Sharing your exact location with the world may seem unnecessary, but if you look back over your text messages and status updates you may be surprised at how often you post that you are doing something somewhere.
Brightkite is a location-based social network that I've been using for a while now. I use it to keep a log of where I've been and to leave notes & photos that future visitors can see, sort of like when you rent a vacation house and you sign the guestbook. It's really easy to use thanks to the great mobile site & apps (especially the Android app) and I like that posts are at a specific business/address (if it exists in Google's directory) instead of at just lat/long coordinates. Plus it's fun to see a map of all the places I've been:
Brightkite isn't the only service though. Lately more and more geo-centric sites and apps are popping up:
- Foursquare is a similar service that is fun to use, but at this point it needs a lot of work before it can dethrone Brightkite. For example it only really works within the city limits, else you have to type in all the address details yourself... no thanks. Their achievements system is great though and really encourages you to use the service.
- Google Latitude takes a different approach. Instead of "checking-in" to a location, it uses your phone's GPS to share your location on a map in real-time with friends.
- Glympse, like Latitude, tracks you in real-time but it lets you to send a temporary view to anyone you want. I used this to share a live view of me running the Peachtree Road Race this year.
- GPS logging apps like My Tracks aren't social in of themselves, but it lets you share your hiking/biking/jogging results with others.
All these services have one thing in common... they are much more useful if your *real-life* friends use them (for example Brightkite will alert you when friends check-in nearby). Very few of mine do because there is not enough benefit to justify the effort and expensive technology required to use them. So for now I will be a lonely check-in, signing a lot of blank guestbooks.
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