What's it been like wearing it in public? Any interesting interactions with curious people? Any vocal hatred directed your way? I noticed you live in Virginia, so I'm especially curious!
> Any interesting interactions with curious people?
All the time! Some people have never heard of Glass and think I'm wearing a surgical implant of some kind. One woman at the grocery store thought I was blind and that Glass was helping me see via the camera.
Kids, especially, are the best. There's a lot of "wow, I'm living in the future!" or "that's so cool!" reactions, especially if their parents let them try it on.
> Any vocal hatred directed your way?
I've never had any vocal hatred, other than some occasionally derisive or skeptical looks. It's hard to blame people since wearing Glass does still look somewhat silly, even to me.
That said, Charlottesville is a pretty easygoing city, and I have the random genetic luck of being a white male, so I'm not surprised that other people who aren't in my situation might have encountered hostility.
> What's it been like wearing it in public?
I don't wear it every day or carry it around as frequently as I do, say, my phone. For example, I leave my Glass at home whenever I plan to go to the gym, because I'm worried about leaving it in my car or in the gym cubbyholes (we don't have lockers).
When I do wear it, I usually forget I'm wearing it until I want to use something on it (e.g. check my mail while I'm waiting in line somewhere, read the news, etc.). It's very unobtrusive.
You should expect hostility if you walk around pointing a camcorder at everyone all day without their consent, because in that case you deserve hostility.
Similar sentiments were expressed with equal fervor at the introduction of various communications devices. The hatred of someone just talking on a cell phone was astounding when such devices began ubiquity, moreso when "hands-free" devices made a debut (someone walking down the street talking at normal volume to nobody apparent was very strange). Still causes tension.
I don't mean to play devils advocate, but that doesn't seem like a valid counter. One of these novel technologies simply changes the expected modes and observed behaviors of people in "typical social scenarios" and naturally, as you point out, put a lot of people off center.
The latter allows you to actively interact with others around you, even if only through the passive act of stored video, which IMHO is more than just a change in social protocol.
I think once people understand how these devices are useful, social norms will begin to emerge, just as they have for other technologies.
For instance, the car-phone. Well, now the cell phone. Generally, we understand now that driving while on the cell phone is not a good thing to do. It took 10-15 years of slow driving, cops thinking people were drunk but instead just talking, and fatal accidents before we began to understand the link and creating laws.
And it goes the other way. In the 80's and 90's, beepers were not allowed in schools because "that's what drug dealers used to sell drugs." Virtually every teenager has a smartphone, capable of way more communication than a 1 or 2 way beeper did. They - probably still enforce the beeper rule today even though drug deals happen on cell phones way more than beepers these days.
Actually getting to my point, Glass wearers that wear them into Strip Clubs, high class or pretentious bars, or other private gatherings where it has grabbed headlines for being a problem are learning this the hard way. Google's enemies would pay for bad Glass press all day every day. And I'm sure they do.
Wearing Glass today is stepping into uncharted territory. You have to be more sensitive to the capabilities of the device simply due to the environment and people's expectations (You are wearing an NSA face drone!). My guess is, if you understand what and why you are wearing it and you use some judgement it won't get you into trouble.
Glass isn't recording all the time. Just as the camera on your phone isn't recording all the time...
Of course it is possible with the right application installed that you could accomplish that for either device it isn't typical.
Just as with your cell phone, you need to be respectful of others. If someone doesn't want me to film them with Glass, I don't. It has never been a problem for me and frankly once I've spoken with others and explained how Glass works, it isn't a problem for others around me.
No one cares if you are carrying a camcorder around, they care if you aren't respecting their privacy and are recording. That is a social problem and not a new technological problem introduced by Glass.
All the time! Some people have never heard of Glass and think I'm wearing a surgical implant of some kind. One woman at the grocery store thought I was blind and that Glass was helping me see via the camera.
Kids, especially, are the best. There's a lot of "wow, I'm living in the future!" or "that's so cool!" reactions, especially if their parents let them try it on.
> Any vocal hatred directed your way?
I've never had any vocal hatred, other than some occasionally derisive or skeptical looks. It's hard to blame people since wearing Glass does still look somewhat silly, even to me.
That said, Charlottesville is a pretty easygoing city, and I have the random genetic luck of being a white male, so I'm not surprised that other people who aren't in my situation might have encountered hostility.
> What's it been like wearing it in public?
I don't wear it every day or carry it around as frequently as I do, say, my phone. For example, I leave my Glass at home whenever I plan to go to the gym, because I'm worried about leaving it in my car or in the gym cubbyholes (we don't have lockers).
When I do wear it, I usually forget I'm wearing it until I want to use something on it (e.g. check my mail while I'm waiting in line somewhere, read the news, etc.). It's very unobtrusive.