Geolocation Technology’s Latest Use

Although geolocation technology has been around since 1999 its use has recently exploded into the social networking scene. Not familiar with this technology?

Geolocation software is used to figure out the geographic location of another party. For example one geolocation approach is to identify a subject’s IP address. Then determine who the IP address has been assigned to, and finally locate the physical address of that person or persons. GT’s use in this manner can be extremely helpful to law enforcement agencies and protect consumers from fraud. But as always, there’s the flip side.

Geolocation isn’t used exclusively by law enforcement. Since geolocation software can get the information of user location, companies have long used geomarketing. Advertisements and content on a website are tailored to specific users. Have you ever noticed when you go to sites like Google or Yahoo, that the advertisements are targeted for your specific location?

Now this technology has crept its way into social media sites. The rise of Twitter has made it possible to share your up-to-the-minute location with the world. Taking Twitter one step further, location-based networking websites such as Foursquare and Gowalla have turned the process of sharing where you're at and what you're doing into a social game. Recently, even Facebook has gotten into the geolocation trend, announcing that it will unveil geolocation technology next month.

So why is location such a big deal? Considering that advertising is what makes social networking profitable, it's easy to see why location is the next big step for social media companies. Thanks to the rise of mobile phone technology, most social media users can now access the Internet 24 hours a day from practically any location. Because of this constant access, advertisers are in a unique position to connect with potential customers in a intensely personalized way. However, while there is great excitement over location-based technology from a marketing perspective, we as consumers need to be extremely concerned about our privacy and furthermore our safety.

If you're going to tweet that you're not at home, maybe you should invest in a good security system. One of the biggest criticisms of location-based social networking websites like Foursquare and Gowalla is that when users "check-in" at a destination, they are also unintentionally notifying the world that they are not at home. While this may not seem like a big deal at first, when you consider the possibility that criminals could monitor your status updates, the danger of over-sharing online becomes much more real.

If you use Twitter or Facebook with regularity, there is already a strong chance that your friends know your schedule and have a good idea on where you are throughout the day. When you factor in geolocation functionality, however, you may be taking your social networking one uncomfortable step too far. By allowing individuals to see where you are with precise geographic coordinates, you are practically asking the world to meet you while you're out. While it's unlikely that you have a stalker to worry about, there are bound to be people that you'd rather not bump into during the day. So why give them a chance to seek you out by sharing your exact location?

Ultimately, as with most Internet technologies, the value comes in location-based technology is how you choose to use it. Before you share your location maybe you should ask yourself why you are doing it. Is there a practical purpose for sharing your precise global coordinates? Think about sharing your location in the context of other information available about you online. Is your home address listed anywhere online? Have you shared anything online recently that might make you a more attractive target? If you just tweeted "Got paid today. Money is burning a hole in my pocket, so I'm going to XYZ bar on Main Street," you could be setting yourself up for trouble.

Sources: Wikipedia and ReputationDefender

©2010 Cultivating Careers