I had this exact same idea years ago, it's awesome to see someone else had the same idea, but actually had the guts to do it! Wishing you success!
Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
31–40 of 65 posts
Re: Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
That seems a little excessive for an app like this. The only way I know of that users can fake their location is with a rooted device. I check for rooted devices in the app though so locations can't be spoofed.
So presumably this will be an evil app that reinforces Google monopoly by using Play Integrity?
What else would you suggest for an app with this concept?
Re: Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
#33This app (like any consumer social app) needs to first solve the cold start problem: make it useful for a single user, layer the social on top. Instagram had photo filters; Strava had activity stats. What could this have?
I'm not sure if the concept is really for a single user. It's more like you get to connect with people within geographically-defined perimeters.
One obvious feature would be to provide geo fenced Wikipedia or news feed.
Like what is the highest rated/longest Wikipedia article in the area.
Or maybe what's the 3 top radio stations and a link to them.
There is plenty of local content that Google does not surface
Re: Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
#34I don't quite understand:
Instead of using the phones GPS to let me simply chat with people around me, which would be great during traveling or commute, I need to choose the place I chat at?
This seems super counter productive in my opinion. It creates way more friction that I want.
Maybe I want to save a location I have been to as a chatroom, sure but my primary interest would be to have my location determine the chat. So if I enter a university building: boom university chat. I enter Cern: boom Cern chat.
The hard part would be to not just use rectangles but actually make the shapes meaningful. I don't want to walk past a high school or live next to one and then be included in that chat. So yeah. Tricky
Re: Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
#35This app (like any consumer social app) needs to first solve the cold start problem: make it useful for a single user, layer the social on top. Instagram had photo filters; Strava had activity stats. What could this have?
I'm not sure if the concept is really for a single user. It's more like you get to connect with people within geographically-defined perimeters.
I am saying for it to succeed as multi-user, it needs to be useful first for a single user.
Re: Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not sure if the concept is really for a single user. It's more like you get to connect with people within geographically-defined perimeters.
One obvious feature would be to provide geo fenced Wikipedia or news feed. Like what is the highest rated/longest Wikipedia article in the area. Or maybe what's the 3 top radio stations and a link to them. There is plenty of local content that Google does not surface
These are great ideas!
Re: Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
#37There's so many ways to fake your location data. There's one way that you can't really fake: Send them a secret code on a piece of paper in the US mail to their physical address. NextDoor used to do this at one point.
It's hard to fake a reputation score. If someone is providing services in an area, they aren't going to start faking a location, and if they do they won't gain any reputation.
But location is already baked into many social media apps anyway, though. https://gemini.google.com/share/68d4fd324d94 ...that'd be the real issue here, perhaps.
Locally produced food is the important one, going forward. It can be much cheaper living away from a city, yet people still want their services. They want to know where the best place to live is.. even to the nearest mile for walking reasons. They want to know where a doctor is, if the nearest hospital is over an hour's drive away. Also language.. how can digital nomads move about and find same-language speakers.
What's wrong with Google maps for this type of stuff? Is there a competitor with downloadable data? What if a war breaks out in your region or the internet goes out or is inaccessible. Need offline data. What happens if service providers don't trust users enough to want to share their data?
A good idea would be for people to take photos of their local community board and share that, so long as the next Pol Pot doesn't see it as well.
Another interesting use-case will be listings of locally tokenized assets. If I need access to a vacuum cleaner or power tools, who would have those nearby? Who has farm land for my heirloom seeds? Where can I buy dairy from pure, healthy livestock? Tokenized assets I expect to eventually grow in size as inequality becomes more K-shaped. People will start selling off these things to the ones with the gold or at least be more willing to rent their stuff out. People are being increasingly homogenized physically, mentally and financially. Location is one of the last areas of differentiation ... and targeting.
Re: Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
#38Very cool. I developed something in a similar vein as a way to teach myself web programming 15 years ago or so. Https://dirtywalls.com is location-based message boards. You can create or join ones close to your location. Reminds me that I need to try to tell people about it since it’s mostly just me checking in to my local bars and shops.
Re: Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
So presumably this will be an evil app that reinforces Google monopoly by using Play Integrity?
What else would you suggest for an app with this concept?
If that would really be the only option, don't make the app.
If it gets very popular, those who don't want to be tied to Google will be excluded from something important.
And the maker of this app thinks it could have a tremendous impact, so...
Re: Show HN: A geofence-based social network app 6 years in development
#40Very cool idea. My only worry is "Anonymous Mode". Anonymity IME usually results in conversations descending into vitriol, snark or libel.