I Ann more excited about the possibility of a smart bench rather than the wifi😃
To answer the question of what data would I expect them to track, I am not really sure without knowing how the service is expected to work. But they could be able to obtain some people’s device identifiers just as people pass the bench and people may be unaware this is happening and obviously they now know the location of that device.
Now if the free WiFi requires you to give details to use this service. They can likely tie that device ID to an entity (a person). So all of this starts to add up espcailly if they are buying and selling data from other services/companies. This can gives companies a good idea about your habits/interests/locations etc etc.
So to loop back the reason I ask is to better understand what they might gather, if anything, and if they do how they might use it. If they do will it be clear to users that this is happening?
When it comes to security and privacy I am more concerned about things like if you are required to create an account to use the WiFi how will that data be transferred and stored? And as I mentioned what can be done to keep people safe whilst using it, this could be technical solutions and/or it could be helping to educate.
I am just generally interested in the technical shifts we are seeing happen around us and the benefits and risks/costs (data is big business) they come with.
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Smart benches are already in operation in other places, so I suspect the issues of security and privacy have been raised before. It might be worth looking to see if the answers to your questions are already out there somewhere.
I’m not a fan of the idea. Given the proliferation of wifi in local shops/cafes, along with cheap data I can’t quite understand the need for more connectivity. Aren’t we connected enough? Do we need to be more connected?
That aside, I’m also not a fan of the benches as shown in the article. I can’t quite see how these designs will fit in with the vernacular of the area. I would also like to see some seating that also has some back support. Are these available in other designs/styles?
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I agree with you Starman, and I value civic space free of advertising.
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Shop/cafe/hotspot wifi can often be sketchy or slow. What’s the downside of having an extra option? Aside from the radiation, which is easily avoided:
?
I guess you’re right. I’d much rather have non office workers cluttering up these benches for good wifi rather than taking up seats in cafes. Especially in the rain.
Personally I would rather site on a bench and people watch than have my face in a phone.
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I think there is a good case for these benches in city centres and near transport hubs, where people might genuinely benefit from being able to get online and also charge their phones. As someone about to send a child off backpacking, I find such benches quite reassuring. I’m not sure it’s something there is a pressing need for in Forest Hill, though.
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Wow I did not realise Forest Hill had a population of Luddites. Perhaps we should build a ducking stool to torment the challengers to our new Amish community.
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I’m far from being a Luddite. We are a family of early adopters, which means we have every iteration of each developing technology you can imagine. It’s quite the archive. Or possibly junk.
My concerns about a bench like this would be for the medium to long term impact on our streetscape. Would it be maintained? What if the company behind it folds? Or the advertisers pull out? Is it something that would enhance our streetscape? Sydenham Road had a problem recently when their Legible London map boards were vandalised and it turned out no one in the council had budgeted for repairs.
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Thanks all for the responses so far.
I do like the idea of tech benches as a concept, (18year old inside me), but then my older self thinks it is not really for me, and I really don’t like the advertising aspect of it. It can look great in some places, and equally terrible in others, so placement is also an issue. It seems the older we are the less important is the wifi element and more important having somewhere to sit (by the bus stop etc) and aesthetics of Public realm.
I also like the element of tracking local pollution as a record to identify local pollution problems. Being solar powered is another plus as they can be moved to locations without electricity cables nearby.
Advertising bit is real downer on me as I do care what young minds are exposed just by walking on the local streets, simply because I am a parent. Currently they are sponsored by Cancer Research so it is difficult argue with the cause. As the Local authority would give permission for these to be put we can have conditions attached. Therefore there is already a list of not acceptable advertising agreed with the supplier of the benches
· Alcohol
· Adult
· Black magic and astrology
· Cosmetic procedures
· Dating
· Drugs
· Fast Food
· Gambling
· Hate/discrimination
· Lingerie
· No win, no claim
· Nudity
· Payday lenders
· Political
· Pornography
· Ringtones and downloadables
· Sexuality
· Tobacco
· Weapons
· Weight loss
· Religious
Does existence of such a list make it more acceptable to have in some places these benches. Could you think of another category that should be added to such a list?
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Vaping products, pawnbroking and any money lending business that profits from those who struggles with money charging them hundreds percents of interest…i feel very sorry for those people and do not wish anyone to be a victim of those lending sharks.
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Sorry. For me no. Beyond my earlier lyddite response I can’t see these making a positive contribution to our streetscape.
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Looks like an appropriate list, with so many abnegaters should be easy to log in and charge can’t wait.
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I think some people may be missing the potential; if they could give local businesses preference for the advert space and then had options to reinvest the revenue from the advertising back into the local community, then why would we want to give up this opportunity?
On the other side though, I also am not sure they would fit in with the style of the area but swings and roundabouts I suppose
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Be a great place for phone muggers to hang out.
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I’m not sure such an opportunity exists within the current scheme. The advertising seems to be a single brand across all the benches London-wide. If advertising is making the production and maintenance of the benches possible, rather than just ameliorating some of the costs, I can’t imagine local traders would be able to either afford the rates or commit to what are probably long-term contracts.
I’d be interested to see how the pilot went, with regard to collecting donations via the contactless reader. Seems a bit like cracking a walnut with a hammer to me, but maybe it is actually an effective fundraiser.
What happens to them if this company goes out of business. I assume they will diligently repair them and upgrade the tech as they become less smart, but if this new venture doesn’t work and they go bust what happens? Do we end up with another useless bit of technology (like the ‘call point’) that no one can afford to repair or remove?
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My god, why dont we just give up, doesnt fit the street scene? Muggers and firms going broke!! Perhaps a communal gallows is the answer so we can just end it all.
No body mentioned drug dealers using it for business or perhaps streetwalkers touting for business ! Come on must be some more negativity we can dispense in case we get dragged into the 21st Century.
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