Everyone was up in arms about Please Rob Me, two weeks ago, the site that made a statement about being careful when you provide status updates regarding your location. And by everyone I mean Mashable, CNet, and even Forbes… whoa.
So now that the dust has settled a bit, @mathiask and I brainstormed where this web application could possibly go next, since the development team wants to sell it to a company that creates awareness about location based applications ruining people’s lives.
It’s All About The Mobile, Baby
Honestly, I don’t know any burglers who aren’t constantly on the go, outsmarting the fuzz to swoop in and steal all of your stuff. So why would a web based application work for them? Seriously. They’re not carrying around laptops to crime scenes… they’re stealing your laptop.
I would also argue that today’s thief needs more than a mobile version of a web site to peruse on their phones. They need a native application that integrates the best the web has to offer about you, your possessions and your current location.
I’m talking integration here, people. If you’re a robber, it’s not enough to know where your mark is, and therefore where he/she is not… You also need to know your mark’s address, how far away they are from their domicile, how far away you are from their domicile, what kind of stuff worth stealing they have, and how you’re going to get away with it. And if it’s not too much to ask, you also need a way to get rid of the stuff you steal, to cash in on your dirty work.
Balsamiq Mock-up
I really wanted to use this post to mock-up the potential future of a mobile version of Please Rob Me on Balsamiq because it’s indescribable how totally awesome Balsamiq is for the average web / mobile app designer. That, and I really think that paranoia about privacy and foursquare check-ins is a weak sauce thing to spread around the internets.
In case you were wondering where I stand on the issue: even though I wrote this post, I personally don’t condone the act of stealing from other people, and most certainly wouldn’t want my things taken from me. Therefore my hypocrisy knows no bounds.
There are many Chris Hall's in this world. This one blogs and tweets under the code name: hallicious.
