THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL

NETWORKINGA CONCEPT INVESTIGATION WITH AUGMENTED REALITY

by Matthew Bucklandwww.matthewbuckland.com

images by Philip Langley

Augmented reality + mobile, applied to a social networking

paradigm

...assuming amazing resolutions, more accurate GPS, facial and object

recognition

(actually none of these that far off)

Hold up your phone against a person you’ve just met or passing by and instantly have information returned about that person within seconds, gleaned from an automatic web, public profile and social network search. Discover common friends, talking points — and then have the ability to add him/her to your network.

Using a semantic scan, you’d discover negative or positive comments on Google or elsewhere relating to the person in front of you. (Don’t mention that job at Microsoft or that time in Europe!) It would be instant insight into the guy standing right in front of you.

Tapping into public databases and directories, discover who lives where and if and how you are connected — then call them, email them, add them to your network right then and there. Get other news about the suburb and other socio-economic information. If they’re part of your network, what are they saying about their suburb or the best pizza joint in the area?

Hold up your phone in a crowded room and work out who is connected to whom. Instantly gauge your primary and secondary networks and work out who you should chat to, what the conversation points are — and who you should avoid. Where are the cliques? Who’s an outsider? What’s the buzz? ...we’ll never forget a name again.

Goodbye to privacy? We’re still working out the ethical and moral framework around this. We may see a backlash from society, angry at the intrusion. We may evolve into a society that’s highly transparent and accountable. But then again, we could become a paranoid and distrustful society, worrying about what our friends or neighbours will find out about us.

It’s comforting that: 1) everyone will mostly be in the same boat; 2) to some extent you’re in control by limiting your profile information on most social networks and, failing that, the “delete” button looms large...

...but then again there’s always going to be information outside our control...

For more, see original blog post @

http://www.matthewbuckland.com/?p=1041

Comments, debate, questions welcome.

Thank you!www.matthewbuckland.com

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