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Kindly Reminder from Google: Don’t Be a Glasshole

2 minute read
By Jared Newman

Oh man. Google just used the word “Glasshole” while explaining some of the dos and don’ts of using Google Glass:

DON’TS:

…

Be creepy or rude (aka, a “Glasshole”). Respect others and if they have questions about Glass don’t get snappy. Be polite and explain what Glass does and remember, a quick demo can go a long way. In places where cell phone cameras aren’t allowed, the same rules will apply to Glass. If you’re asked to turn your phone off, turn Glass off as well. Breaking the rules or being rude will not get businesses excited about Glass and will ruin it for other Explorers.

The above explanation appears on Google’s press site for Glass, where it was spotted by TechCrunch.

“Glasshole” has been around for a while — “Startup L. Jackson” appears to have coined it on Twitter in October 2012 — but I’m not sure Google has embraced the term itself before, at least not publicly.

Still, Google’s definition may be a little narrower than what’s commonly accepted. Someone who ignores the outside world in favor of a face computer might also qualify, though Google does shun this behavior elsewhere in its Don’ts section:

Glass-out. Glass was built for short bursts of information and interactions that allow you to quickly get back to doing the other things you love. If you find yourself staring off into the prism for long periods of time you’re probably looking pretty weird to the people around you. So don’t read War and Peace on Glass. Things like that are better done on bigger screens.

If you really don’t like Google Glass as a concept, you might describe anyone who’s spent $1,500 on the still-unfinished product as a Glasshole, but we can understand Google not subscribing to such a loose definition. Accepting that not all Glass Explorers use their cyberpowers with tact is a fine start.

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