Real location based services

There is Google Lattitude and Plazes and a lot of other services. But what I am wondering about is, why there is still no app for Facebook or twitter (beside of L:) to see if there are friends around the place where are you right now?

Yes, I know, and I always pointed to privacy issues. Even I don't want to let the world know about every step I do. But I would like to switch on and off a service. Like I sit in a coffee shop in Saigon and want to know who is nearby.

The problem with the most LBS apps they are currently available is that they have nearly no market penetration. Google fails with Latidude like Plazes failed already.

Anyone with any idea what the obstacles are? Is it really privacy?

Do we need gatekeepers?

One of the most reasons why journalists are think they are important is their role of a gatekeeper. They kind of filter information, but also analyse and in another sense make complicated things more understandable.

In the western world governments think that we people don't understand complicated topics and that's why we need journalists. That worked, because publishing companies also hat the power of printing machines.
This changed with the internet. Now everyone has access to the original source. That also mean, we need to know how to estimate the source.

That give us a lot of self-responsibility. Are we ready for that?

Look at the new google latitude service. It's great, you can see where your friends are. And they can track you. But do you want to be tracked? Sometimes yes. If a have free time, people can know where I am and join me at the Coffee Shop. But sometimes I don't. Then I have to switch that service off.

When we start to blame the service for being Big Brother and call for government action, then we give up our self responsibility.
Its just a stupid computer, and we decide what to do and what not.

Same for watching TV. It's not the fault of the TV stations if our kids watching to much TV. It's us, who have to switch it off and play with our kids.

Just some thoughts