5 ms·

I can't believe the amount of effort invested in this more cumbersome, much more specific use case solution rather than just bringing back Latitude -- a fully f

I can't believe the amount of effort invested in this more cumbersome, much more specific use case solution rather than just bringing back Latitude -- a fully functional product (and exactly the same under the hood) that existed 6 years ago. I trust my trusted contacts -- let me share my location all the time. (No, some backwater tab in the G+ app does not count.)

jaimex2 10y ago
Yup, what a waste of a great product. Least the G+ feature can be set as a widget.
- mrgriscom 10y ago
  Yeah for me it's overlay in the maps app or bust. I liked opening google maps and seeing all my friends and family. The option to share only city-level location was enough to assuage any feelings of creepiness. And I know I'm on the fringe here, but I was also quite partial to the fact that it had an API.
  - k1t 10y ago
    I made the same complaint to a Googler friend - but he showed me his copy of Maps complete with contact's locations. I assumed it would be coming soon in a future update, but this was more than a year ago.
    - wfunction 10y ago
      > but he showed me his copy of Maps complete with contact's locations Whoa there! Were the contacts also Googlers??
      - k1t 10y ago
        Sorry, I think you missed the context from the parent post. This is just the same as the Location tab in Google+ (which used to be a separate app, Latitude) - it's only contacts who have chosen to share their location, but integrated into Maps.
- dorfsmay 10y ago
  What? How do you set it as a widget?
Gustomaximus 10y ago
I use the G+ version. Its useful for my partner or I to check each others location e.g. your cooking dinner and want to decide to wait or eat. You quickly check the app and you can see if they are at the office etc. When I've discussed, generally people steer towards the creepy side of being tracked and dont like it. Maybe this version finds a middle ground as it's selling it as 'keeping you safe' while giving Google the right to track your location to sell better targeted ads. Really, the latter is what this is all about.
- dorfsmay 10y ago
  Or tell you kids they're took the bus in the wrong direction! It's very useful, but why put it in g+ and only in the mobile version of g+!
- lettergram 10y ago
  If you think all that data is going to be used for is ads, you're probably mistaken. All that data is stored. They know all your contacts, how you write, what your interests are, where you go every day. What if suddenly the country your in makes it illegal to do X, or feel Z. They decide to arrest everyone who meets the criteria, and there's nothing you can do. Although, you are correct now, it is ads. But the risk is SO great I really don't understand not taking precautions
  - Gustomaximus 10y ago
    > Although, you are correct now, it is ads. But the risk is SO great I really don't understand not taking precautions I'm a bit nonchalant, I suspect because I work in marketing and see this as trying to get more relevant ads to me. And I'm always interested when ads show up to see what triggered said ad where obvious. For the potential for abuse, it is a concern. I feel the key is we have a choice on a service like this. And what seems a slightly strange opinion, I am more OK with companies collecting this type of information but would be disturbed if I knew the government was generally accessing it without court order. Really if your that worried about big brother you should not be carrying around a mobile phone at all. Governments already have ways to track location and activate mics in the background, so in that way its nothing new, now we also have the information.

jaimex2 10y ago

Yup, what a waste of a great product. Least the G+ feature can be set as a widget.

mrgriscom 10y ago
Yeah for me it's overlay in the maps app or bust. I liked opening google maps and seeing all my friends and family. The option to share only city-level location was enough to assuage any feelings of creepiness. And I know I'm on the fringe here, but I was also quite partial to the fact that it had an API.
- k1t 10y ago
  I made the same complaint to a Googler friend - but he showed me his copy of Maps complete with contact's locations. I assumed it would be coming soon in a future update, but this was more than a year ago.
  - wfunction 10y ago
    > but he showed me his copy of Maps complete with contact's locations Whoa there! Were the contacts also Googlers??
    - k1t 10y ago
      Sorry, I think you missed the context from the parent post. This is just the same as the Location tab in Google+ (which used to be a separate app, Latitude) - it's only contacts who have chosen to share their location, but integrated into Maps.
dorfsmay 10y ago
What? How do you set it as a widget?

Gustomaximus 10y ago

I use the G+ version. Its useful for my partner or I to check each others location e.g. your cooking dinner and want to decide to wait or eat. You quickly check the app and you can see if they are at the office etc. When I've discussed, generally people steer towards the creepy side of being tracked and dont like it. Maybe this version finds a middle ground as it's selling it as 'keeping you safe' while giving Google the right to track your location to sell better targeted ads. Really, the latter is what this is all about.

dorfsmay 10y ago
Or tell you kids they're took the bus in the wrong direction! It's very useful, but why put it in g+ and only in the mobile version of g+!
lettergram 10y ago
If you think all that data is going to be used for is ads, you're probably mistaken. All that data is stored. They know all your contacts, how you write, what your interests are, where you go every day. What if suddenly the country your in makes it illegal to do X, or feel Z. They decide to arrest everyone who meets the criteria, and there's nothing you can do. Although, you are correct now, it is ads. But the risk is SO great I really don't understand not taking precautions
- Gustomaximus 10y ago
  > Although, you are correct now, it is ads. But the risk is SO great I really don't understand not taking precautions I'm a bit nonchalant, I suspect because I work in marketing and see this as trying to get more relevant ads to me. And I'm always interested when ads show up to see what triggered said ad where obvious. For the potential for abuse, it is a concern. I feel the key is we have a choice on a service like this. And what seems a slightly strange opinion, I am more OK with companies collecting this type of information but would be disturbed if I knew the government was generally accessing it without court order. Really if your that worried about big brother you should not be carrying around a mobile phone at all. Governments already have ways to track location and activate mics in the background, so in that way its nothing new, now we also have the information.