Topic

Locator Bookmarklet

Need to find someone? Go to their profile page and use my Glitch Locator bookmarklet to periodically set your destination to their location. You can find it at joefriedl.net/lab/bookmarkl..., and the source is available to read and modify to your heart's desire on GitHub.

With this bookmarklet, you can:
- Catch up with someone you want to trade with.
- Direct a much larger group of people than is practical with the in-game follow feature, while allowing them to perform independent actions on the way. #OccupyGregariousGrange
- Find a friend without interrupting their adventures or having to check on their location constantly.
- Bonus: If two players use it on each other, they meet in the middle!

I'm in no way endorsing stalking behavior. If someone is harassing you, report them.

(For those of you confused about the discussion below, the original name was the "Glitch Stalker", and I had described it as allowing you to "follow someone against their will.")

Posted 14 months ago by Grampa Joe Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • You... are once again.... my hero. Love all your work and I hope you keep it up! =)
    Posted 14 months ago by Ryft Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks! I'm making these pretty much just for my own entertainment; and I live in Ohio, so you can expect to see a lot more as I remain bored forever.
    Posted 14 months ago by Grampa Joe Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Do you really think this makes Glitch a friendlier game, and makes people feel comfortable here?  Since blocking someone doesn't stop them from using this book mark, it is probably the most perverse use of an API that I've seen in a long time.

    Doesn't pass the "creepy" test for me.
    Posted 14 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm going to have to agree with WindBorn on this, the very fact its called a Stalker Bookmark is giving me the icks.
    Posted 14 months ago by Lyn Frog, Esq Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Couldn't they just use your profile to follow you anyway? I assumes this only makes what you can already do easier... lighten up people sheesh. =P
    Posted 14 months ago by Ryft Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What's the point of "stalking" someone in Glitch?  To help them mine?  :-p
    Posted 14 months ago by Poppy of Detwoit Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The point seems to be to "following people around against their will".
    Posted 14 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think he named it that as an obvious joke... he didn't make it specifically for people to use to harass other players (I hope). It's not like people are going to see this and be like "Oh hey I can now stalk people!" They could do it before lol
    Posted 14 months ago by Ryft Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Oh Hey! Now I can stalk people!
    Posted 14 months ago by Mr. Touch Subscriber! | Permalink
  • *sigh* calm down people.
    Posted 14 months ago by Prof. Woland Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm with WB.  Yes, it doesn't let you do anything you couldn't do manually by checking their profile and using the map.  But the things it makes easier are, mostly, inappropriate and unfriendly ones.  If you're trying to catch up with a friend, they can keep you up to date in chat/IM -- you only need to keep checking their profile, whether manually or by script, if they're not willing to do that.

    Although there may be innocuous use cases I'm not thinking of.  Ryft, Grandpa Joe -- when would you (or when would one) want to use this?
    Posted 14 months ago by Fnibbit Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I didn't say I was going to use it.... but I don't think he should be chastised for his work just because the thing he spent time making "could possibly be used for something bad". If someone wants to stalk someone they will do it... and if that person keeps it up, the other person can report them. It's no different then not having this. Just the fact that people think being able to use a couple less clicks to follow someone is going to open up a sudden rash of harassment is just ridiculous...and I can't really sum it up any better than that lol.

    I can see how his description of it may raise a few eyebrows... but yeah I think it may be more for finding your friends quicker, etc.
    Posted 14 months ago by Ryft Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Fans of Glitch will be pleased to know that the game has taken its first steps towards adding PvP features to the game.  With the addition of the new 3rd party "Stalker" app, players can now have either a Silent Stalker, who observers their every game move or the even more exciting Super Stalker who can teleport to your location as soon as you log into the game.   

    Being stalked adds a fun new dimension to this whimsical game, where there is no opt-out from this feature.  Your stalker can show up at your doorstep as soon as you leave your house, or simply follow you from afar by using the app to determine your up-to-the second game location.  Or they can personally join you at each rock you mine and help you find piggies to pet together.  

    The Stalker app was announced Sunday.  The developer of the app described it this way: Like following people around against their will? Go to their profile page and use my Glitch Stalker bookmarklet to periodically set your destination to their location.

    Being stalked is so much fun, it's good to see this new feature being highlighted.  It adds a nice level of anxiety and tenseness to a game. 
    Posted 14 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Eh?  The game already publishes your up to the second game location.  And you're right, there is no opt-out for that feature (which isn't new) and it's something that's irked me from day one, but that's the way it is.  Like right now, I know WindBorn is in Oktyabrya, just from using features that have been available in the game since day one, only one click from here, on your profile.  Plus, there's a 'stalker' achievement in the game, seeing as part of the beef here seems to be the connotation of the word.  This isn't a new feature that's being highlighted, it's a release of an API tool on the forums.  If anything, the pre-existing feature is being highlighted.
    Posted 14 months ago by Cross Subscriber! | Permalink
  • You are all insane. This thing is uber useful in many different situations. Say I want to go to someones house with them to trade something they have in their cabinet, but along the way I'd like to stop and donate to a shrine, or harvest some trees, or molest multiple chickens. Using this, I don't have to  "follow them" I can just say "go ahead" and catch up with them, following the same path that they're taking.  I think it's a very clever way of expanding on the idea that Glitch is a -work-together- game.  Maybe if you people weren't all so worried about being creepy, or whatever, then you'd make some friends in the game and see how practical tools like this can be. 
    Posted 14 months ago by Dipples Subscriber! | Permalink
  • um....
    http://www.glitch.com/achievements/stalker-noncreepy-designation/

    I think its great. Carry on Grandpa Joe
    Posted 14 months ago by goodstory Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I didn't expect to wake up to such a response! Ok.

    Some of the legitimate use cases for this bookmarklet:
    - Catching up with someone you want to trade with.
    - Directing a much larger group of people than is practical with the in-game follow feature, while allowing them to perform independent actions on the way. #OccupyGregariousGrange
    - Finding a friend without interrupting their adventures or having to check on their location constantly.
    - Bonus: If two players use it on each other, they meet in the middle!

    If someone is harassing you, report them. I'm in no way endorsing actual stalking behavior, which is possible with or without this bookmarklet.

    Cool fact: it's not possible for someone to follow you to your house with this bookmarklet because of the way the game's routing works; but because there are no privacy settings, they can quickly look up your address without it!

    I assumed the name and description fell within Glitch's sense of humor, as others have noted. If this actually upsets anyone, I'm open to suggestions for how to present it (hopefully without resorting to a humorless, clinical description of its function).

    Thank you to everyone for your support; and thank you for all the feedback, positive and negative. My goal is to make everyone's Glitch experience a little easier and a lot more fun.
    Posted 14 months ago by Grampa Joe Subscriber! | Permalink
  • For those of you who think that Glitch endorses stalking:  please notice that the Stalker badges and the "follow" command all require the explicit permission of the person being followed each time the command is used.

    Being followed without your permission or knowledge is not allowed by the built-in command.  It is entirely opt in on the part of the person being followed.  Fortunately, staff was aware enough of the scariness of this feature to build in safeguards so that the person who is being followed has total control over the use of that feature. 
    Posted 14 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Grampa Joe

    Perhaps it would have been better if initial description focused on the fun part of the app, and not the scary part.  Perhaps it would be better if the initial description had focused on how helpful the average user would find it, and not on how helpful the griefers and creeps in the game would find it. 

    I think your new description is great.  If you could ask staff to edit the title to something that also reflects the fun side of this, then most people will not even care that it can also be used to make it easier to do the icky things. 

    Clearly the TOS allows this kind of extension via the API, and most users will not focus on harassing other people with it.    If they do, the proper response is to report the behavior as abuse.  It just seemed wrong to put so much creativity into a script and then to focus solely on how to misuse it.
    Posted 14 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • WindBorn, I assumed people had senses of humor. "Stalk" is the best description I could think of for what it does. "Follow" doesn't work because it's already used for the in-game function, which does something very different.

    If anyone can think of a name that would accurately convey its function that's both concise and light-hearted, I can change both the name of the post and the bookmarklet itself.
    Posted 14 months ago by Grampa Joe Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Please make this into a greasemonkey script. I would love to use this when I want to give items to friends without forcing them to halt their gameplay to wait for me, or me to halt my gameplay while en route to them. It's inconvenient enough right now that I've just been spending teleport tokens to go straight to them instead of constantly checking their location and updating my route, so this would be a lifesaver there.

    @Grampa Joe: WindBorn just likes to troll, I have no idea what his beef is. You are better off ignoring him.
    Posted 14 months ago by Toksyuryel Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This is great.....too me, it's less intrusive than being able to see how much money anyones Glitch has....and it goes right along with TS humor. 

    People wanting to be PC over everything is what kills creativity. (When it's not over the top, of course.) 

    I've been stalked before- literally... and I don't find this the least bit creepy. 
    Posted 14 months ago by NutMeg Botwin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @NutMeg Botwin:

    a) The initial post that was available for you to read 8 minutes ago has been totally re-written, and contains nothing creepy.  If that had been the original post, my original reaction would have been entirely different.  Of course it's not the least bit creepy:  the creepy parts have been removed.

    Cudos to Grampa Joe for his sensitive and prompt response to the issue. 

    b) I've been stalked before in real life.  I found the original post creepy.  So did others.  Your mileage may vary. 

    @Grampa Joe, how about calling this app the Glitch Get-together app?  It helps all Glitches get together in-game. 

    ETA:  that name isn't creative enough, in my mind.  A Gathering of Glitches?  Somebody got a much more clever idea that that?
    Posted 14 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "I've been stalked before- literally... and I don't find this the least bit creepy."

    Me too! Others who have been stalked may find it creepy, and that's fine too, but I want to add my voice into those that don't.  I would hate for someone to think that the dissenting voices were speaking for everyone.  This is only doing something that's already possible -- if this were an app that controlled a miniature helicopter that followed me around and videotaped my life, I'd be creeped out.  But there's nothing in this game that reveals my actual identity if I don't want it to, and I'm confident that this is a safe space.  The staff here are very responsive to inappropriate behavior.

    That said, I also think this is well within the humor of the game itself.  Just remember, you can't please all of the people all of the time.
    Posted 14 months ago by Magic Monkey Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks for answering my question and clarifying the original post, Grampa Joe.  Makes much more sense to me now.
    Posted 14 months ago by Fnibbit Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I want to make it clear that by saying this is within Glitch's sense of humor, I'm in no way saying they endorse stalking. If Tiny Speck believes any of my bookmarklets enable, endorse, or encourage behavior they wouldn't themselves; or if they believe they enable cheating; I'll gladly remove them.
    Posted 14 months ago by Grampa Joe Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Magic Monkey,
    If you didn't read the original post (not the totally re-written one that is visible now) then you probably won't ever understand why the original post was creepy.  The first post in this thread is not the original post.
    Posted 14 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • So is this the

    Gathering Of Glitches app?
    Getting Together app?
    Friend Finder app?
    All Together Now app?
    Bunching Up Your Buddies app?
    Collecting Your Compadres app?
    Discovering Your Dudes app?
    Posted 14 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This is a great app! My girlfriend and I usually don't have that much time to spend together when we do find the time to play together. Usually it takes forever for us to meet up, that by the time we're at the original destination shown, we've got bored and moved from there. Now we can just meet and the middle and spend much more of our time together playing! Thanks Grampa Joe for another great bookmarklet!
    ps. I use your achievement and location tracker habitually, they even pop up when I start the game!:)
    Posted 14 months ago by Muncey Mango Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Oh, ok, that makes more sense then- I didn't understand it! Haha
    Posted 14 months ago by NutMeg Botwin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What about 'Pursue Ur' bookmarklet?
    Posted 14 months ago by Muncey Mango Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Alright, I've renamed it to just the "Glitch Locator". I'm sure it wasn't really necessary to change the name, but I feel better about it now.
    Posted 14 months ago by Grampa Joe Subscriber! | Permalink
  • *hugs Grampa Joe*

    I salute you for your responsiveness and creativity in making this app.
    Posted 14 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink