Checking out on Brightkite Jul24 '08

# (1 of 4): Jeff Smith » allthingsdork.com

3 days, 10 hours after the fact. (Sun 27 Jul 2008, 9:17 PM CST)

But doesn't the information become just as stale if I don't remember to check in to my next location?

There are plenty of times when I want to check out of my current location, but don't necessarily want to check into my new location.

I dunno, maybe I'm not following the whole proces, but checking out seems like a viable option to me. Just to not be anywhere at the moment.

# (2 of 4): Matthom

3 days, 20 hours after the fact. (Mon 28 Jul 2008, 7:50 AM CST)

Jeff, good points.

I think the difference is if you forget to check-in, you are invisible to other visitors already checked-in, whom Brightkite may alert if you were checked-in.

On the other hand, if you are checked-in, and fail to check-out, other visitors will be alerted as if you were there, when you're not.

If you are not checked-in, you are invisible to the Brightkite system. Your point is that this is not accurate either, which is true, but at least the system is not voluntarily giving people false information.

It's kinda like the path of least resistance. What the system doesn't know can't hurt anyone.

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# (3 of 4): Jeff Smith » allthingsdork.com

3 days, 20 hours after the fact. (Mon 28 Jul 2008, 7:54 AM CST)

Maybe I'm missing something in the way BrightKite works. If I check into a place, does it automatically check me out after awhile? Example: In the morning I show up to work downtown and I check in. But I never check out and never check back into my next location. What if I don't WANT to check into my next location? Does the system handle that in anyway or am I still bound to my work check in?

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# (4 of 4): Matthom

3 days, 22 hours after the fact. (Mon 28 Jul 2008, 9:35 AM CST)

You're still bound to your work check-in. So any photos or notes you post via Brightkite will be filed under your last check-in.

A best practice is to always make sure you're "properly" checked-in before posting photos or notes, otherwise they'll post to the wrong location.

I agree with you that there is some debate regarding checking-out, and perhaps some third-party development will address the issue, using the API. Or maybe Brightkite will add a new feature themselves.

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