My memory isn’t failing, but it can be pretty bad. I think Google Maps’ Timeline, which is an opt-out thing (it’s likely recording your location based information without you even being aware of it) could be absolutely revolutionary for people like me, or people who are actually losing their memory, or just aging.

For example, can’t remember when you last visited your friend? Can’t remember the address of a spot you visited, that you need to return to? Can’t remember where you were or what you did a few weekends ago? You can look up specific dates, locations, and more, and I think it’s pretty amazing.

If you don’t know about it, check it out. It’s on maps’ app or desktop under the menu as “timeline”.

https://www.google.com/maps/timeline

And yes, someone will inevitably chirp about privacy.

I know people freak out about privacy, but frankly, I am a pro-transparency guy, and am pretty sure privacy and transparency are mutually exclusive, and cannot exist in harmony. What’s better…. knowing everything, or knowing nothing? I know there are nuances here, like exposure of medical records or credit details, etc. That being said, privacy is a red herring that is usually a proxy for civil liberties, and if those are intact, privacy doesn’t have the same value.

What’s more, does privacy even exist anymore? I think the chorus of people concerned about privacy might even by hypocrites, because privacy isn’t important when it serves your own purposes. I am sure a lot of people who imagine themselves privacy advocates are posting their location constantly on instagram, or not reading EULA and allowing app permissions by the dozen, without even thinking of the irony. When it helps you, enhances your life, or makes you happy (or addicted), it seems privacy becomes moot pretty fast.

But this is one of those instances, personal opinion on privacy aside, that the benefits can far outweigh the negatives (it’s all internal facing and not public). So it’s something that has been helping me quite a bit in the last year+, and I just wonder if caregivers or people with memory issues might benefit from applying it to normal, everyday life.

About Uncle Fishbits

I'm.. just this guy, you know?

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