Comments on: Merlin Mann on Loopt http://tametheweb.com/2008/07/15/merlin-mann-on-loopt/ Libraries, Technology and People Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:20:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Jenny Levine http://tametheweb.com/2008/07/15/merlin-mann-on-loopt/comment-page-1/#comment-5494 Jenny Levine Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:19:29 +0000 http://tametheweb.com/?p=3153#comment-5494 I hate to say it, but I really dislike Loopt updates, too, and not just for the reason's Merlin lists. The addition of the location forces me to read the update twice in order to discern what the person actually typed and what was added automaticallyl as a location indicator. Sometimes, those additions completely change the original text, too, without adding any valuable information to the equation. It most definitely does not save the time of the user (in this case the reader). For me, it's additional noise on Twitter, which isn't really something I need. Apps should add value, not remove it, and I have yet to see a useful location tag that added value. That may change during big conferences like ALA, but when everyone is "near" the same hotel at something like CIL...well, duh. I'd rather have someone tweet their location for dinners, meetups, etc. than see the locator on every tweet. I hate to say it, but I really dislike Loopt updates, too, and not just for the reason’s Merlin lists. The addition of the location forces me to read the update twice in order to discern what the person actually typed and what was added automaticallyl as a location indicator. Sometimes, those additions completely change the original text, too, without adding any valuable information to the equation. It most definitely does not save the time of the user (in this case the reader).

For me, it’s additional noise on Twitter, which isn’t really something I need. Apps should add value, not remove it, and I have yet to see a useful location tag that added value. That may change during big conferences like ALA, but when everyone is “near” the same hotel at something like CIL…well, duh. I’d rather have someone tweet their location for dinners, meetups, etc. than see the locator on every tweet.

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