The increasing rate of change and development of technology isn’t slowing down anytime soon, even if a lot of people aren’t ready for what’s to come. There is perhaps no better evidence of this fact than the rise of the “Glasshole” *(or, individuals who insist on toting their Google Glass spectacles everywhere) and the backlash against them.
In essence, Google Glass is an integrated piece of wearable tech which takes advantage of its ability to act as both a hands-free smartphone-like device (which interfaces with the internet) as well as a ubiquitous computer in its own right. The brainchild of Google’s R&D department (Google X), the project was started with a prototype in 2011 (which weighed a staggering 8 pounds) and has since gone on to attract quite a lot of attention from people all over the world. In short, to say that Google Glass is a technology which could “change the world” is an understatement, it might very well lead to the mass acceptance of various aspects pertaining to augmented reality in general.
However, despite the interesting notions which Google’s Glass presents, many are still apparently very wary of it. In fact, the tech monolith itself has recently gone out of its way to coach Glass users on proper etiquette, telling its users not to be “Glassholes”. This comes after recent incidents from all over the US involving wearers (aka Google Glass Explorers) being forcibly ejected from businesses or even ticketed by police.
Moreover, some US states have even proposed an outright ban of the device (including Illinois, Delaware, New York, Missouri, West Virginia, and New Jersey). The idea of a product being banned long before it’s even given a chance to hit the market is, for all intents and purposes, a dire proposition, so Google has recently been looking to quell the fears of many with new policies and assurances.
Naturally, the reason a lot of people are opposed to the widespread use of Google’s Glass has more to do with infringing on privacy than anything else. Once can imagine just how easy it might be for some nefarious criminal to utilize their headset to essentially study and stalk people as if they were prey for predators.
If you are a Google Glass proponent, here are some recommendations directly from the company itself which they strongly suggest all wearers adhere to:
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Ask for permission. Standing alone in the corner of a room staring at people while recording them through Glass is not going to win you any friends. The Glass camera function is no different from a cell phone so behave as you would with your phone and ask permission before taking photos or videos of others.
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Respect others and if they have questions about Glass don’t get snappy.
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Be polite and explain what Glass does and remember, a quick demo can go a long way. In places where cell phone cameras aren’t allowed, the same rules will apply to Glass.
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If you’re asked to turn your phone off, turn Glass off as well. Breaking the rules or being rude will not get businesses excited about Glass and will ruin it for other Explorers.