We have all, at some point in our lives saw someone in public and wanted to figure out their identity. Unfortunately without going right up to them and asking who they are, this is virtually impossible. For this reason, my team and I created the new app called Locus. Locus allows it users to find social media accounts of others in close proximity that also use the application. The great thing about our app is that it only allows people who accept the terms and conditions to have their profiles shared with others. It is also unique among other apps because you can limit the age of people connecting with you, to enhance safety among users. Locus is not only for playful purposes, but also the professional world. It’s very common for employers to check out a potential employees social media account. This app makes it easy to connect to social media accounts without all the effort spent searching.
Use of technology to communicate is continuing to become the new norm. Face-to-face conversation doesn’t seem as necessary anymore as much time is spent communicating through devices such as computers, tablets and cell phones. This is due to the invention of the Internet and social media which allows users to interact and experience being part of an online community. Participating in social media allows for expanding beyond the networks of individuals you normally surround yourself with at work, school and during leisure activities.
Most of the social media operates through the World Wide Web, while some of it also operates on applications on mobile devices. Locus is a mobile device that allows willing individuals to join in a community to expand their network. There are a few similar apps such as FindFace and snitch.name. FindFace, which is accessible in Russia, allows users to photograph people in a crowd and find out their identity. The app compares the photograph with pictures on Vkontakte, a social network in Russia, to find the most likely match along with 10 additional individuals that look similar. This is about 70 percent reliable. Unlike Locus, FindFace is not available in America and only links to Vkontakte. Another downfall is the awkward moment when you have to try to capture of the picture of the person you want to identify or spend time. Locus allows you connect with minimal effort.
Another similar search site is snitch.name, which is said to be the social white pages. With a first and last name of the person you want to search, you can view social sites a specific person is linked to. The site is great if you know who you’re looking for but not so much if your searching for a person you’ve never spoken to. If you don’t know the person your searching for, a large amount of time may be spent trying to figure out who that person is. Locus tries to minimize the amount of effort and time dedicating to searching by easily allowing its users to connect with all social media accounts.
Locus is a large part of the future of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) because it allows people to connect in a new way. Some people don’t feel comfortable at first with face-to-face conversation or want to find out who a person is online before beginning a relationship of certain sorts. Technology, and social media in particular provide people this opportunity to do some investigating to find out who a person is. From there, the user can decide whether or not to connect. Connecting has never been easier.
@JeremyHL #cmst4190
Lindsey Ciurej 