Wednesday 28 January 2009

Where's the UK's location-based social network?

In the US, there's Brightkite a location based social network so popular that its even launched an iphone app. So now smug iphoneites all over the States can let friends know their location at all times, post photos of themselves smugly drinking lattes in cool cafes, meet other iphoneites hanging out near cool cafes and explore more cool cafes.



However, there doesn't seem to be anything like this in the UK. Nokia's Friend Finder doesn't launch til later this year. Facebook has a couple of apps like InstaMapper, but it only has about 4,000 active users.



Meanwhile the Facebook app FriendGPS only has 1,000 users. Rather lonely friends then.
Nokia have also bought a location-based social networking service, Plazes, but dont seem to have done anything with it. Article here.

Maybe it's because the Brits value their privacy more, and recoil at the thought of that online acquaintance you vaguely know tracking you down when you pop out to buy milk. Maybe it's because they're not huge fans of stalkers. Or maybe they're just technologically slow.

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