RE: Killer app? RE: Extro-biz

From: Adrian Tymes (wingcat@pacbell.net)
Date: Wed Jun 04 2003 - 15:56:24 MDT

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    --- Rafal Smigrodzki <rafal@smigrodzki.org> wrote:
    > Adrian wrote:
    > > In short: find a way to beat the massive downside
    > of
    > > the network effect, or your attempt to realize
    > this
    > > idea will fizzle, just like everyone else's
    > > attempts.(Unfortunately, said downside is so
    > massive
    > > that you
    > > might have trouble giving these things away - to
    > > merchants, medics, and customers - even ignoring
    > > concerns about how to make a profit without
    > selling
    > > any devices.)
    >
    > ### How about piggybacking on an existing network?

    Certainly a valid way around this in and of itself,
    but...

    > Set up accounts and
    > profiles with your cell phone provider, with
    > continuous matching of profiles
    > based on their spatial proximity - as soon as you
    > get within range of a
    > specified type of person or location tagged by the
    > system, your cell phone
    > rings with an automatically generated message (or
    > gets an email).

    ...this requires cell phones to be upgraded to know
    your location even when you are not making a call.
    Major privacy implications, and corresponding
    resistance from customers - especially given the
    cell phone companies' public intentions to use such
    services for spam. (Say, give you a ring if you get
    within 100 feet of a pizza parlor advertising with the
    network. Perhaps not too bad if you like pizza, but
    few people are in the mood for pizza 24*7, and what if
    you're waiting for a date outside said parlor but said
    date is likely to get a busy signal because the cell
    phone detects you're near but not yet inside and keeps
    reminding you it's nearby? Plus, given the history of
    such spam, customers have every reason to suspect it
    won't be limited to just those who indicate interest,
    but instead be applied to everyone the cell phone
    companies can get a signal to.)

    OTOH, if the cell phone companies would instead
    promote the kind of use suggested here - dating,
    merchants, medics, et cetera - they could possibly
    slip in the "real" (by their perceptions, possibly
    true, possibly false) revenue generator of advertising
    behind it.



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