When I wrote that location would be this year’s Twitter at SXSW, I also meant that Twitter’s geolocation would be this year’s Twitter at SXSW. The service has just turned on geolocation on its website today for the first time.
While Twitter’s geolocation feature has been live through its API since last November, there was no sign of integration into the main twitter.com site until now. As you can see in the screenshot above, for tweets tagged with location, right next to the source of the tweet there is a location placemarker. When you hover over it, it turns blue, and clicking on it brings up a little Google map showing the location that tweet was sent from.
You can see these maps as overlays both on individual tweet pages, and on tweets in your main stream. In some cases, depending on how Twitter geolocation API is being used, it looks like place names are even passed through to Twitter. For example, here’s a tweet sent from Foursquare that also says where the tweet is being sent from.
The timing of this move by Twitter is significant. Earlier today, the New York Times reported that Facebook would unveil its answer to location next month at its f8 conference. Twitter’s first-ever Chirp conference takes place just one week before f8. Google, meanwhile, is in the game with Latitude and to some extent Buzz (but could have been in it a lot more). And of course, every app and their mother appears to be launching with some sort of location functionality at the SXSW in Austin, Texas, which begins on Friday. Many of those apps use Twitter’s geolocation API to pass the data back to Twitter, so it makes sense that this would be a good time to turn the functionality on for the website.
Update: It looks like Twitter has just turned off the location functionality after having it on for a bit. Look for it to come back shortly — certainly some time before SXSW.
[thanks Chad]
12 hours late TC. It was there last night. :-P
Not able to see itthere . :(
I dont think this feature is available for all yet, I cant see the location pushpin from my twitter accounts.
Not that I’m some kind of big-time journalist (yet) but I had the story up before just about any other tech blog out there. Just sayin’:
http://joelgibby.net/2010/03/10/twitter-com-adds-location-to-tweets-implications-for-realtime/
I think geolocation apps are great for bloggers to show their readers where they are, what are they doing and initiate new interesting conversations because of that.
I´d like to invite you all to join the conversation on Startups.com about what is the best location widget. Follow this link http://bit.ly/caLaz7
Geolocation is so hot right now, but the problem is, will this be entangled on the privacy web again?
Just like Yelp and foursquare, geo-tagging/location capability is starting to become the future.
Looks like you broke the story before anyone. I am going to add you to the links on my blog post about this. Nice Job!
Yep, I opted-in but wasn’t given the option on my updates. Would be good to check it out so hope it is back soon
I’m pretty sure I’ve had this option for the last several months.
Hey MG,
Do you think Foursquare will be the next “Twitter” this year at SXSW? Or is the money on Gowalla or Brightkite? What’s your personal opinion? I’m signed up for all of them but it’s annoying using all 3.
I like Gowalla better but I think Foursquare has more of a head start. It seems to have attracted a lot more media attention than Gowalla (at least so far).
I think Foursquare and Gowalla are primarily games and will have a tough time competing with Twitter and Facebook as primary location sources. They can continue to compete through API sharing, consuming Twitter and (one day) Facebook location data and allowing users to play the games without having to check in to three apps. We’ll see how it all plays out though. I’m still holding out for LAYAR or some other AR app to take the reins and really do some cool stuff.
It’s still just a bucket test as I don’t see it.
From the supplied image it doesn’t look well designed. Besides, when Facebook drops the f8 bomb, it will be available to all FB apps, and that will wipe out both current Latitude/Buzz and Twitter implementations. GoWalla and FSQ have a chance as long as they emphasize on the new features.
Whattup Nikolay (do you prefer Nik?) Don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but I enjoy your tweets and hope to see you around more. Joel
Oh, good! More fodder for robmenow.
why are people so obsessed with telling others where they are? don’t they know they’re leaving behind a digital trail of them selves?
First the Cola Wars, now the Location Wars. My money is on foursquare, cus it’s so darn fun.
Hopefully they’ll present geo data much like the Birdfeed twitter app does: humanised.
It would be a better UX to see “… via Tweetie *near George St, Sydney*”
I think their are serious privacy concerns to think about when allowing twitter to know your location. Do you really want to tell the world where you’re having dinner. Wouldn’t it be better to blog about experiences you’ve had at places and locations. Check out a hyperlocal blog network (http://www.yourlocalblog.com) that allows you to geotag your blog posts and also geotag the location of your blog (great for businesses).
I just discovered TwitRadar x iPhone that integrates geolocation infos into a Twitter browser and found how powerful/dangerous it could be.
After all the privacy concerns expressed here I went through the process of opting into sharing my location so you all can see that there is a 4 STEP process for this to occur. It does not happen thru one click on a lappy / desktop machine.
I took screen shots of the whole process for you.
http://www.googlingsocial.com/?p=546
And yes I would be watching my kids on this kind of thing. But then kids should not be on Twitter.
Hope sharing my location with you all will clarify and privacy concerns you have. – Chris
Yep, I opted-in but wasn't given the option on my updates. Would be good to check it out so hope it is back soon
This is actually pretty scary – I had the "show location" box UNCHECKED and people were actually still able to see my exact home location from my blog using mobile apps. NOT COOL.
I like twitter but I can't use it if I'm opening myself up to web psychos because they want to flex their tech arm. Anyone know how to disable this?
It is quite outdated option! i think they need to innovate something new now
i like it