My Dog Hates Computers
Posted by harrisj Tue, 12 Apr 2005 05:44:00 GMT
She tends to paw at me when I dare to work on the laptop instead of scratching her. So, I don't think she'd be into SNIF, a new project for tracking canine interactions with expensive collars out of the MIT Media Lab (where else?). Yes, this is a fine example of using fancy technology and expensive gadgets to tackle simple problems that aren't begging for solutions. Is it necessary or important? No. But in a city where boutiques sell dog eyeglasses, designer knockoffs, and other expensive dog-oriented options, I suppose it still might sell. From the Wired News article on SNIF, there are some funny excerpts:The Social Networking in Fur, or SNIF, project is a wearable computer system for dogs that allows their owners to monitor the animals' behavior and capture their social networks.
Paging Dogster, there's some venture capital heading your way! The dog-com boom has started! At least now, I can devote more energy to tracking Bella's social interactions.
When in the docking station, the leash becomes a display device, alerting users to the status of their pet's social network. If a dog's buddy goes out for a walk, the leash will play the buddy's unique collar tone. "Just as in IM clients, the SNIF hardware makes it easy to know when your dog's pals have gone out for a walk," said Jonathan Gips, one of the SNIF team members. "Instead of being online, your friends are marked as 'outside.'"
I can't really add anything to this. I use this thing called memory to remember which dogs my dog likes, but I'm old-fashioned that way. Of course, I also haven't realized the advantages an advanced electrical device can bring to my bland and depressing existence!
"Psychologically, the pressure to interact socially is lessened by the activity of walking a dog," says Noah Fields, another team member. "Ideally, we want SNIF to function in much the same way. We believe that SNIF will allow dog owners who live hectic lives to use technology to maintain a sense of community."Yes, if only they could invent communities around dogs playing. Living in Manhattan, I remember going to the dog run, where I could hang out with other dog owners watching out dogs play and thinking to myself, "sure, this may be a community, but if only there were an expensive high-tech way of emulating this system, preferably one that keeps out the poor and unfashionable? When can we reach that golden tomorrow?"
For the love of dog, stick with the dog park and good old fashioned memory (as if a dog forgets a friend’s scent anyway?) Dogster is just here for when you’re stuck behind the computer!
I think the SNIF thing is one of those things that only makes sense as an academic study that then gets picked up by the press due to nifty graphics and not glossed-over details.
However, if it could be mass produced at a really cheap price it would be fun to connect the SNIF data to dogster profiles and then map out who happened to be near who. (If you’re the trusting type ;)
PS: I love the dog-com pun. Woof!
Hello Dogster! Thanks for the comments! Don’t get me wrong, I love Dogster actually. It has all the hallmarks of fun, nimble technology. Basically, what I like about Dogster is what I used to like about Friendster and I do like about Flickr, Google Maps etc. in that it’s a wonderful example of building a community by creating a place from the ground up, and encouraging people to play with it. People don’t come to Dogster because it’s better than the park, they come there because it’s a fun complement to their lives. Plus, you don’t charge people to add their pooches.
I don’t know. Perhaps it’s unfair, but the same sense I get from SNIF is the sense I got from those Doggie Translators and the Dog Cell Phones. “This is the product, this is how you will use it… and it seems like it’s still going to be a bit of a pricey technology that will keep many people away.
Anyhow, thanks for the feedback. And good luck making your dog-com millions!