forum.opiophile.org

Geotagging - Threat or Opportunity? I've been accused of being paranoid when I have asked friends not to tag me on photos they post on Facebook. I've also been accused of living under a rock when I became alarmed after learning that my photos automatically, by default, provide my geotag data every time I share them. Everyone seems to know about this, and several Google searches have assured me that I am not alone in being deeply concerned about the effect this could have on personal safety. Who is actively using and benefitting from this technology? In all honesty, I don't get it. What's the point of announcing your specific location to the world, when it's likely that the people in your social circle are either A) There with you, or B) Somewhere else for a reason other than simply being unaware of where you are. I have yet to see anyone searching Facebook for photos in order to get in their car and join their friends immediately wherever they are, based on the photo they just uploaded. That actually seems kinda creepy, even for a friend. I also have yet to see anyone using their own geotagging data in any creative ways, for example, to make an actual story out of their experiences. I think they just let Facebook handle that, if anyone cares to look. Again, personally, I would feel creepy looking at my friends' timelines to follow their geotagged paths. I know I'm not the only one creeped out and concerned about this. It's easy to find instructions for how to disable geotagging and reduce the chance of someone using it for subversive purposes. However, after many searches, I have almost concluded that nobody has yet seen the opportunity to use geotagging in ways that would actually increase personal safety, at least not on an individual level. Let's look at this another way. There are a companies and organizations that use geotagging for good at the community level, and even the global community level. Example: Guardly is an emergency response app an