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Google Really Doesn't Want You To Be A Glasshole
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 19, 2014
Modified Feb 19, 2014
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 19, 2014
Modified Feb 19, 2014
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For as long as people have had the opportunity to strap their eyeballs into Google's latest pet project, Google Glass, we've had the term 'glassholes.' Actually, that's not quite true: the term was coined before Google Glass was even available to aspirational cyborgs. There are already people who have written essays on the term and how it's quickly been accepted into our lexicon. And this week, Google finally acknowledged the term.
Google released a list of “Do’s and Don’ts” for Glass Explorers. That includes DO ask permission to record people ("Standing alone in the corner of a room staring at people while recording them through Glass is not going to win you any friends") and DON'T glass-out ("If you find yourself staring off into the prism for long periods of time you’re probably looking pretty weird to the people around you."). But it all leads to this one last big DON'T:
Be creepy or rude (aka, a “Glasshole”).
Respect others and if they have questions about Glass don’t get snappy. 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. 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.
Of course, the easiest way to avoid becoming a glasshole is by, ya know, not buying an overly-expensive product which is mostly unnecessary and leads humanity one step closer to an Orwellian nightmare dystopian future.
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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