Gmail's New 'Add Location' Feature Is Too Honest

Most of Google's web-based tools are all about empowering users, but the latest release from Gmail Labs is actually a step backward in that regard: Turn it on, and you give up your ability to easily lie about where you are.The various enhancements to Google's free e-mail service have been arriving at a furious rate -- we've seen Sync for mobiles, Multiple Inboxes and Tasks in recent weeks, and we love just about all of them. But we're dubious of this latest feature, which adds a text string announcing your physical location to your signature in Gmail. (Calore, 2009)

I'm wondering about something here. When the idea for this application was introduced, surely the "business oriented" people at Google had to put their heads together and evaluate whether or not this would be a truly desired application. Was it worth it to spend the energy on developing this? Would enough people truly want to use this application? Did they decide to create and release this application to see the response?So far the responses here seem to indicate that it's not desired, you can turn it off and problems of trust are going to arise if you do turn it off.I for one wouldn't want a device that could let ANYONE track my every move. It's no one's business 'where' I'm at.

Calore, Michael (2009,2,13). Gmail's New 'Add Location' Feature Is Too Honest. Retrieved February 14, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/02/gmails-new-add.html