This New York Times article Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live is a bit disconcerting.

ryck

Your avatar picture luckily does not contain the gps location, but you provide that under it, so thanks.

Good point. Now fixed.

However, the difference is that I did it knowingly whereas the folks sending pictures around probably have no idea they are doing so. And too, they are often providing their whereabouts in real time, revealing when they're not home - a critical piece of information for bad guys.

What I don't understand is why it would be a part of the data at all, let alone be the default - particularly since it's not easy for the novice to reset. I've taken a lot of pictures over the years and I can't remember a single occasion when I though "Gee, it's sure be handy to have the latitude and longitude for this shot."

It raises the question: if this isn't of value to the user, who is the benefactor?

ryck


Pssst.....don't tell anybody but they were actually the coordinates for a guy up the street who I don't like.

Just because you do not find a "feature" of benefit does not mean many others, perhaps even the majority, do not. I didn't start using them until I started taking the majority of my photos using my iPhone which captures the location via the built in GPS. While I won't say I use geotags a lot, I have spent hours going back and adding them to older images in my collection and I definitely thought it of sufficient benefit to spend that time. Frankly I think the only reason geotags are not more widely used is because most people are unaware of them.

Using the geographic location of a photo image is considered a major feature of iPhoto 8. It is a very handy method of indexing the photo library. With geotags you can...

• Call up all the photos taken in a particular location or vicinity regardless of what album or gallery the image is indexed in. For example my wife recently asked about a friend's cabin in the mountains and I clicked on "Places" then the pin in the map where the cabin is located and I was able to show her lots of pictures from all over the area. It would have taken a LOT of digging to pull all those out any other way.
• For professionals and advanced amateurs knowing the geographic location of a photograph allows them to determine the direction from where they were standing when taking the photo. A lot of folks consider this important.

I am sure others can come up with ways they use geotags but these two are off the top of my head.

I will admit that there will be some, such as yourself, who find the geotags beneficial. However, given the millions and millions of smartphones in use, and the fact that so many are simply sending quick shots back and forth, I can't see where it's possible that the "majority" have use for geotags.

Despite what it says under my avatar, "I'm from Missouri" on that one.


This supports my contention. If the smartphone manufacturers thought this was of benefit to the majority, they'd say so.....and they'd be providing instructions about how to make use of them. My guess is that it'd even be a selling feature in advertising.


And, consequently, millions of people are also unaware of the downside and are therefore vulnerable. It seems to me that it would be better if the manufacturers said, for people like you who want the feature, "Your smartphone is capable of......and here's how to enable the function".

The person who would use this function is likely also the kind of person who would have the skills to turn it on off safely. However, I suggest the average user is going to find that task - under present conditions - too daunting even to try.


I'm sure we can hear about some other uses. However, I wonder if we'll hear about something that the millions and millions of average users (the majority) are doing with geotags.

ryck

Of course, it has been said that the only reason to take pictures is if you have a very bad memory. [Refer to signature quote below.]

And I thought posting your coordinates directly beneath that picture of your buddies was a challenge.

Actually, they're both ladies (half sisters - same father, different mothers).

ryck

Whew... What a coupl'a dogs~

(Nice looking ones, though. )

I just realized that your avatar has changed; I hope your ladies are OK.

Thanks for the kind thought but, no, I'm sorry to say I lost one to cancer at the end of May. I just haven't had the heart to change the avatar before now.

ryck

Sorry to hear that, ryck.