mobilocative markets (the new day trader)
I’m three sips committed to a double shot of espresso at a hip, tech-savvy cafe in San Francisco’s Mission district, when a catchy tune comes up on the stereo system. I access the cafe’s neighbor-net, which identifies the song from the playlist, referring me to Amazon or iTunes for a purchase.
Everyone wins, as the affiliate program fee covers the cafe’s wireless access, providing incentive for high music quality to boot. Recognizing the song, a girl a few tables over posts a message to the cafe Wiki, listing her own Amazon cross-sells and also taking advantage of a referral bonus while plugging a similar band playing a local venue later that week.
Let’s extend this idea to the “neighborprise”. If I’m taking the sun on the beach at nearby pet-friendly Dolores Park, I might want to advertise my dog-walking service, encouraging people to stop by (”look for the guy with the yellow balloon”) and talk to me in person to determine my level of trustworthiness. On a hot day, the corner cafe could post a bulletin declaring a lemonade happy hour to quench our thirsts. Anyone want to toss around a Frisbee?
Our just-in-time neighborhood Wiki is a transient workspace, discoverable only within a fixed proximity. Information exchange is highly targeted, and thus relevant to the users’ physical context. One might access resources like (don’t click on this) www.neighborhoodwiki.com?place=caferitual&key
- a high level url to access the web site
- a GPS coordinate or other location key (The Corner Cafe) to provide spatial context
- an optional key to discourage outside access if desired (perhaps a randomly generated number exposed on the wall)
Localized mobile markets emerge as individuals monetize their insight into their immediate surroundings. The content pusher is the new day trader.
