Facebook unveiled its new “Places” feature last night, a riff on other geolocation and tagging systems already in vogue among the mobilirati. In a nutshell, Places makes your current location (latitude and longitude) part of the menu when posting what you’re doing, what your thinking, or what you’d like to share. Further, it lets businesses incentivize such postings with special offers and recognitions (in Foursquare‘s version of this system, for example, the person doing the most frequent ‘check ins’ at a location can become ‘mayor’ — for which they might receive a cup of coffee, a special badge, or just bragging rights among their digital friends). Here’s Facebook’s blog post about it.
If your arts organization is located in physical space (which most are), and if your current or potential constituents have Facebook accounts (and most do), and if many of those use mobile digital devices or smart phones (ahem), take a moment with your marketing, development, and service team (which I know might all be you) and consider a measured response.
PC World offers some early tips on what you might consider. Mashable offers this field guide for users and businesses.
Sure, it might be just one more freaky and big-brother-y evolution in the public expression of self. But at least it provides a new incentive to get out and about. That’s got to be good for our team.
Is it really an incentive to go out when all of your moves are cast out there for others to see? I’m thinking a little more like late Warren Zevon, who penned a song about SPLENDID ISOLATION.
This is the main paradox of present days: from one hand the general concern about loss of privacy and comfort given by anonymity. On the other hand, the way we – fuelled by enthusiasm and easiness – grab new apps and tools that out privacy undermine.