May 4, 2013

"White Men Wearing Google Glass."

A tumblr page, linked at the WSJ article called "Google Glass: An Etiquette Guide."

The photos presumably suggest the need for an etiquette guide. I'm guessing these things things will — like cell phones — seem annoying/inappropriate until enough people have them and the people who get them before that are the kind of people who sort of like being annoying/inappropriate.

37 comments:

Achilles said...

I will be the first to get contacts. Not sure about the cornea implants though.

Limited Blogger said...

Well, if everyone starts wearing them, the government will certainly be pleased. Cell phone conversations are a bit limiting.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/04/telephone-calls-recorded-fbi-boston

Nonapod said...

people who get them before that are the kind of people who sort of like being annoying/inappropriate.

Speaking personally I'll admit that some of that is envy, but most of that is the natural distaste I have for certain varieties of annoying hipster nerds who happen to be 1) Youngish 2) White Male 3) Liberal. Maybe I'm being racist, but it's probably ok cuz I'm an annoying white male nerd too.

cubanbob said...

These things have zero security so enjoy getting hacked and having everything you see, hear and say available to big brother and on the net. Geeks, better not ever ogle a young possibly underage hottie while wearing these things or say anything that might irritate big brother.

Unknown said...

Fourth guy down looks pretty good in them.

Or, even better, Fourth guy down looks pretty good.

Ann Althouse said...

The guy that looks the best is the one that doesn't have them on yet.

Fred Drinkwater said...

But Ann, isn't that *always* true?

Sorun said...

"White Men Wearing Google Glass"

Let's not make this about race. I'm sure Asian men like them just as much.

Brew Master said...

All men with Google glasses, band together and wear shorts as well!

To me, the oddest looks in those flikr images are the glasses that don't have lenses. At least put in some clears or something.

John henry said...

According to John C Dvorak, tech writer extraordinaire and co-host of the No Agenda podcast www.noagendashow.com Google Glasses are an elaborate hoax:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2418223,00.asp


Is Google Glass a World-Class Hoax?

The media just gushed over this supposed happenstance when really it was such an obvious publicity stunt.

John Dvorak By John C. Dvorak
April 26, 2013
An extremely elaborate prank.

That is what I've determined Google Glass is as the company begins to ship these loony glasses.

I've come to this conclusion based on a number of factors. The first clue is today's all-over-the-place coverage about how Eric Schmidt, who cannot maintain the joke, is cracking under the strain. Unable to keep a straight face, he said during a speech yesterday that Google Glass is "the weirdest thing."
[snip]


Read the whole column

John henry said...

IF Google Glass is real they are the creepiest thing to come down the pike in my lifetime. Perhaps ever.

The idea of any anonymous hacker having millions of unsuspecting windows on the world is the worst.

Just the idea of not knowing folks are videoing me as we talk is right up there.

Ann, you are wrong comparing the creep factor with cellphones. I don't think I have ever heard anyone call cellphones creepy. The main complaint is that they are annoying when in use in certain venues. I suppose that they can be used to covertly record but how often do you hear of that?

Perhaps a better comparison would be those douchy Bluetooth earpieces people wear. Even there is is still not the same as 1) people seldom use them to record conversations 2) even if they did, it is only a conversation. Bad enough but not like full on livestreaming video to the world in real time.

Fuck Google.

They are like government. I can't get away from them completely but I never willingly use them if there is any alternative. Nothing to do with Google Glass, this has been my policy for 4-5 years now.

John Henry

edutcher said...

If they're worried about etiquette, they should start with cell phones.

Don't use at the table.

Any table...

Freeman Hunt said...

Too many dudes.

They should send me a pair.

John henry said...

So how do you search without Google? I hear someone asking? Bing/Microsoft is pretty much just as bad at tracking you.

I use Privatelee www.privatelee.com

It works like Google or Bing but acts as a cutout, searching Google and Bing when I type in a search term.

Been using it for 4 years now and loving it.

Among other things, you can tell it where you are located. Dubuque Iowa is my default for reasons I now forget.

John Henry

MadisonMan said...

Hipster Doofii.

Petunia said...

They all just look silly, but not as silly as Steve Mann did in the widely-published picture where he is not wearing a shirt with his eyeware.

If I am ever in a conversation with someone wearing google glass, I plan to ask the person to take the glasses off. Or I will stand outside of their field of view.

Chip S. said...

That looks like a sex-offender registry.

caseym54 said...

I'm waiting for the inevitable privacy-invasion suits after someone thinks posting everything he sees to YouTube is a good idea.

Also, how far from an abortion clinic/titty bar/gun shop do you have to stand while wearing one of these?

ampersand said...

I look forward to the you tube vids of rear ending the car in front ,mowing down pedestrians and wrapping themselves around a tree.

tim maguire said...

I wonder, what's the percentage of beards among Google glass wearers vs. the general population?

This could have been called "hipster doofuses of Silicon Valley."

Balfegor said...

What's interesting to me is that "Whiteness" is becoming racially marked -- increasingly, people aren't even pretending that it's a neutral or default racial categorisation anymore. It's also narrower and more rigidly defined, as people on the margins between racial classifications seek to avoid categorisation as "white."

Aridog said...

... people who get them before that are the kind of people who sort of like being annoying/inappropriate.

Nonapod ... I guess I'm one of them, but hardly young (70) or liberal in today's definition, unlikely "hip" or "nerd" (maybe)...but hey, I am white and if given the chance to buy a pair tomorrow for $1500 I'd take it.

I have no interest in smart phones or tablets..no interest in Facebook or Twitter...nothing I think, say or do is worthy of instant announcement, besides I have everyone else here on Althouse to annoy when the urge arrives, right?

But, for some reason I see Google Glass as useful tool, just as I did Windows, Office, Adobe miscl, and Oracle in the olden days when my contemporaries were assigning that IT activity to young nerds...so I guess I became an old nerd, but out of pure laziness for the amount of effort I could save getting work done with computer help.

I see Google Glass the same way, added convenience with real potential for making me even more lazy.

Aridog said...

Cubanbob...yeah, you just had to mention the glaring shortfalls of Google Glasses. I wuz trippin' ....but you are very likely very right. Dang!

ampersand said...

Jeepers Peepers, where'd you get those Creepers?

Aridog said...

Hmmm...it occurs to me I'm missing part of the point others are making about videos, Youtube, social media, etc etc.

In my ignorance of what real capability they have beyond video yada yada....My ideas for using Google Glasses actually has nothing to do with social media or Youtube. I'm assuming that, besides query functions and searches, they could operate in a database dimension with ODBC functionality.

I need to study up more about just what they can really do and not do. If mainly video capture and transmission...yawn, meh. Fuggedaboutit.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

I would not have a conversation with someone wearing those.

Aridog said...

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

I would not have a conversation with someone wearing those.

Presuming the glasses can do the database stuff I'd require, none the less, because they can do other things, I would take them off during conversations with other people. I was raised to be courteous...hard to break the habit.

I have no use for people who sit at a table and converse via test message from 3 feet away. Please. Just fucking please.

Anonymous said...

I am waiting patiently for Google Pants.

bagoh20 said...

Can these be used to tell if a woman is faking an orgasm, because I'm getting very suspicious about the ones past a dozen or so in a row.

TWM said...

As noted above, bluetooth cell phone head sets have been out for a long time now and the people wearing them still look like douches (save for when driving), so I think the same will go for these. As to etiquette, I won't be talking or remaining in the vicinity of anyone wearing them and I imagine most people will feel the same way, so they will have to form their own clubs for friends I guess.

bagoh20 said...

I would like a fix to having to hold my damned smart phone in my much needed hands. Maybe a couple extra hands designed by Google would be a better solution. I suppose they would upload what you touch with them, and that's gonna be a problem, especially if they upload any painting of the fingernails or application of hand lotions.

I can see the ULA now: "These hands remain the property of Google, Inc., any alteration to make them more alluring or to change the apparent sex of the Google Hands is strictly prohibited.

Clayton Hennesey said...

I predict that after enough of these people start sporting ballpoint pens in their eye sockets the whole eyeglass camera fad will fade away.

bagoh20 said...

Many people seem concerned by how unattractive they would appear with such a device. To date, I have made very little effort to control this area of my person, so I'd be fine. My absurdly skinny legs hanging out of my Daisy Duke shorts usually distracts from whatever else I'm rocking.

Freeman Hunt said...

I would not wear them during conversation. Nor anywhere near my husband's work. But as a tool? Wow! I'd love to try them out.

TWM said...

Late question and perhaps already covered, but what if students want to wear them in class? Would you mind that, Professor?

Aridog said...

bagoh20 said...

Can these be used to tell if a woman is faking an orgasm, because I'm getting very suspicious about the ones past a dozen or so in a row.

Careful there dude...you could throw your elbow out of joint patting yourself on the back like that.

JamTech said...

Google Glass as a lot of exciting features wifi mp3 player and much more read more http://jamtechnews.blogspot.com/2013/03/google-glass-features-specs-and-reviews.html