‘Locatags’ &

Bringing >location to the statusphereMay 2009

Let’s assume we all know…

• ‘Status’ – Facebook– Twitter

• Hashtags– Adding semantics (meaning) to statuses

• Twitter more convenient in everyday life…And let’s assume we want…

#Hashtags (recap)

• Easy to use• (fairly) easy to understand• Allow search & retrieval• Many uses– Events (#MW09)– Memes (#followfriday)– Opinions (#fail)– Mood (#hungry)– Etc.

What are ‘locatags’ ?

• Location-based tagging– To tell where you are– Make it searchable, workable

• hashtags cannot fulfill the same purpose– Sometime hashtags connote a location, not always– Hashtags refer to things, locatags means going to some

place• Example– “Going for a drink at >Macumba” will allow to map all the people using locatags

>Locatags syntax : still open

• Dave Troy / Twittervision– L: (never quite took off)

• Nearyoo :– ‘undertags’ (‘_’)• Keeps readability

– ‘greatags’ (‘>’)• Good graphic symbol of “getting into” a place

• Stowe Boyd :– Slash (‘/’) (and closing slash for multi-words)

Locatags are not hashtags !

• Locatags <> hashtags– Some hashtags imply a location (#mwsf09) but not all

• Using a locatag means “check-in”– You are actually there (or going there)– Do not use if you’re merely talking about a place

• Use closing tag (<) if multiple words– Just landed in >SFO– Going to >Starbucks, 780 Market St, SanFrancisco<

Nearyoo (beta)

Beta.Nearyoo.com is an early implementation of locatags

• Step 1 : follow @nearyoo– Will follow you back (and listen to your tweets)

• Step 2 : use ‘>’ (greater than) before places– “just arrived in >Houston”– “going for a drink at >Cellar, SanFrancisco<

(closing ‘<‘ for multi-word locations)

Nearyoo: enabling real-life meetups

Step 3 : that’s it ! Nearyoo will:- Locate you: Nearyoo.com/in/SanFrancisco- Locate also Twitter users using GPS- Allow friends to meet

- Remember :it’s beta !

In a nutshell…

• Locatags are great !

• Follow @nearyoo

• Use ‘>’ before locations in your tweets

Contact

Roald Cyberathroald(at)roald.com@roald

Picture credits : Hash (cc) Flickr – Joyosity ; Nutshell (cc) Flickr – Vermario