Airlines using wearables to get more personal

in hardware on 2014-03-20 09:24 (#3GH)

Don't be surprised if the next flight attendant that serves you seems to know more about you than you'd expected. Airlines seem to be strongly interested in the possibilities offered by new wearable technology, and at least two - Qantas and Virgin Atlantic - are giving wearable tech a try in order to provide more personalized service to their customers.

Looks like you shouldn't be surprised if the person to whom you hand your boarding pass is wearing Google Glass, now.

better service versus privacy (Score: 1)

by rocks@pipedot.org on 2014-03-20 12:23 (#Q1)

Notwithstanding privacy concerns, one of the potential advantages of widely-shared personal information is the potential for better service exchanges between businesses and customers. This sounds like it could be an example of that.

I suppose a potential downside is if you are on record as "frugal", and if businesses identify you as such and they actually lower the quality of service they provide to the frugal-ites.

Re: better service versus privacy (Score: 2, Interesting)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-03-20 12:54 (#Q6)

I think for me the concern is rather, "sector creep." That is, the airlines prove it's effective and useful technology that allow them to greet me with "Good afternoon, Mr. Zafiro17," and a glass of scotch on the rocks, as I'd like.

So now that we know it's effective, the cops want in on the action too, so they can scan me as I ride my bike home from work. Then the guy in the corner newspaper kiosk wants a pair so he can subscribe to some new service that matches my face against people who like to buy crack cocaine, and so on. Maybe I don't want to be part of your frikkin database, y'know?

Re: better service versus privacy (Score: 1)

by rocks@pipedot.org on 2014-03-20 18:13 (#QA)

Mmmm... I think I like "Mr. Zafiro17" better than "Mr. Rocks". Maybe I should have thought about that when I was picking a username.

Re: better service versus privacy (Score: 4, Funny)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-03-20 19:58 (#QE)

Ha ha. Let's go ask Mr. Fuck Beta what his opinion is. Hey Mr. Fuck Beta, can I offer you a nice glass of scotch on the rocks?

Re: better service versus privacy (Score: 2, Interesting)

by rocks@pipedot.org on 2014-03-20 18:18 (#QB)

I liked your explanation of "sector creep". The concrete examples help.

I was thinking about it mostly from the customer perspective -- maybe I'm okay sharing personal information on my terms if it gives me a better service experience. But you're right, if the providers and authorities start linking me to everything on their terms, maintain databases on their terms, and so on, the control is definitely out of my hands. Its probably too much to hope for a system where customers control the sharing and deleting of the information on their terms and not the other way around.

Re: better service versus privacy (Score: 2, Interesting)

by nightsky30@pipedot.org on 2014-03-21 12:24 (#R0)

I think what has been mentioned regarding databases and lack of control is indeed scary. But even scarier in my opinion is when the flight attendant greets you by your name or possibly leaks other information into the surrounding public ear through "corporate, forced, discussion" with you as she hands you that in flight drink. I don't want random people on a plane knowing anything about me. It's not their business, or the business of the airline. By forcing more intimacy between flight crew and customer, they are leaking personal information to potential identity theft.

Re: better service versus privacy (Score: 1)

by rocks@pipedot.org on 2014-03-21 15:44 (#R9)

Another interesting point.

I can see how the ripple effects of these changes might keep getting wider in our Brave New World.

I was thinking the other day that the Galapagos Island and Madagascar are biologically unique/diverse in part because they have been somewhat isolated from other continents in the past. One ripple effect I could imagine if everything gets connected, interlinked, and so on is if people and society start to lose the diversity of culture, opinion, language, etc. that makes us more interesting to each other because we have been isolated from one another, in part.

Re: better service versus privacy (Score: 1)

by pslytelypsycho@pipedot.org on 2014-03-22 19:29 (#RJ)

Interesting conversation gentlemen. (or ladies or amalgamation or automaton as fits) If I may throw my one and a quarter cents in here, (devaluation you know...) I would interject the following query:

" if everything gets connected, interlinked, and so on is if people and society start to lose the diversity of culture, opinion, language, etc. that makes us more interesting to each other because we have been isolated from one another, in part. "

Do you feel this would be a temporary thing, as in as we become more homogenous, and diversity decreases to the point that we as a society would lose interest in cultural differences. Resulting in a 'blending' of cultures (example: Firefly/Blade Runner/The Fifth Element and the multicultural but non separated, East/West mix) or will it result in more interest and 'containerization' of different subsets of culture to preserve the diversity? Perhaps a bit of both?

Or, am I making no sense at all...a very real possibility.

Re: better service versus privacy (Score: 1)

by pslytelypsycho@pipedot.org on 2014-03-22 19:40 (#RK)

Oh, and by the way, out of curiosity...how do you feel about being offered up to 'Fuck Beta' with a bottle of scotch poured over your head?

{Snark!}

Sorry, couldn't resist....:)