Off-Topic? Microsoft's New "Avoid Ghetto" App

[Robert Balliot]

Norma / Malakia -

I imagine that the MS marketing department calculated that the valuable
viral leverage they would get by calling the AP  "Avoid Ghetto"  outweighed
the perceived cost of appearing insensitive.

As of right now, for the exact phrase "Avoid Ghetto"

   - past 24 hours 72,100 results in Google,
   - past week 293,000,
   - past month 456,00

So, being nasty sells by creation tension and conversation.

It seems that you could generate something similar fairly easily by
combining GPS with the publicly available FBI-Uniform Crime Reports and
Census Data.
-- 
*******************
Robert L. Balliot
http://linkedin.com/in/robertballiot
 http://bestofpublib.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/robert.balliot
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
*************************************************


On Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 7:07 PM, Norma Jean Hewlett <hewlett at usfca.edu>wrote:

> I'm afraid this is kind of off topic for Web4Lib. It concerns Internet
> technology, but I don't see any direct relevance to libraries. Except
> perhaps for libraries in one of the areas that are flagged as
> "ghetto."
>
> I'm totally shocked by the "avoid ghetto" description, but quite okay
> with the concept. I've walked and driven through a number of areas
> where I really wished I'd had advance warning about what to expect or
> avoid.
>
> My daughter and I were talking about this yesterday. She pointed out
> that even though she dislikes this use of "ghetto" to mean "unsafe,"
> she had used it recently when describing an area to friends. We also
> wondered whether the neighborhood we live in - a quiet family
> neighborhood on the edge of a rather bad one - might be included in
> the "avoid ghetto" recommendations.
>
> Jean Hewlett
> Librarian, Santa Rosa Campus
> University of San Francisco
>
> On Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 10:51 AM, Malakia Oglesby
> <moglesby at asburyparklibrary.org> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> >
> >
> > I don't mean to stir up any more controversy than it's already getting.
> but.
> >
> > have you guys heard about Microsoft's new patent for a GPS app being
> > casually called "Avoid Ghetto"?
> >
> >
> >
> > --SNIP--
> >
> >
> >
> > "A new technology designed to help pedestrians avoid bad neighborhoods
> has
> > plenty of smartphone users up in arms."
> >
> >
> >
> > "And "what if someone using a route from this system does get mugged,
> shot,
> > assaulted, or robbed?" wonders Chris Matyszczyk at CNET. "Would they feel
> > entitled to sue Microsoft because the route was supposed to be
> > 'ghetto-free'?"
> >
> >
> >
> > --SNIP--
> >
> >
> >
> > Here's the link:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> http://theweek.com/article/index/223122/microsofts-avoid-ghetto-app-racist
> >
> >
> >
> > My opinion:  While I understand the need and concern for safety I can't
> help
> > but think there's a better way to approach it.  Also, last I heard
> people do
> > get "mugged, shot, assaulted, or robbed" in areas not labeled "ghetto".
> I'm
> > not certain that I can go so far as to call it racist, but I'm certainly
> > disappointed in Microsoft and the Gates'.
> >
> >
> >
> > Just my two-cents,
> >
> >
> >
> > Malakia
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ______________________________
> >
> > Malakia Oglesby, MIS
> >
> > Asbury Park Public Library
> >
> > 500 First Avenue
> >
> > Asbury Park, NJ  07712
> >
> > Phone: (732) 774-4221
> >
> > Fax: (732) 988-6101
> >
> > Web:  http://www.asburyparklibrary.org
> >
> > Email: moglesby at asburyparklibrary.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------
> >
> > “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” - Jorge
> > Luis Borges
> >
> >
> >
> > ============================
> >
> > To unsubscribe: http://bit.ly/web4lib
> >
> > Web4Lib Web Site: http://web4lib.org/
> >
> > 2012-01-10
>
> ============================
>
> To unsubscribe: http://bit.ly/web4lib
>
> Web4Lib Web Site: http://web4lib.org/
>
> 2012-01-10
>

============================

To unsubscribe: http://bit.ly/web4lib

Web4Lib Web Site: http://web4lib.org/

2012-01-10
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.nd.edu/pipermail/web4lib/attachments/20120110/c3c55d9a/attachment.htm>