I often listen to the morning CBC KW broadcast hosted by Craig Norris on the way into work.  Recently Craig had a piece on the show about an app called Yik Yak that caught my attention.

Wikipedia describes Yik Yak as an app that “allows people to anonymously create and view “Yaks” within a 10 mile radius …. for sharing primarily with those in close proximity to the user, potentially making it more intimate and relevant for people reading the posts.  All users have the ability to contribute to the stream by writing, responding, and liking or disliking yaks.” Read more detail [here] .

      Image from http://services.flikie.com/

Hmmm … location based,  anonymous,  instant messaging … It doesn’t take much pondering to recognize the huge potential for misuse.

But,  it doesn’t have to be that way.  Each of us has choices to make, personal responsibility and accountability for our actions.  One could choose to share positive thoughts, ideas, comments, compliments etc.  through this type of service.   Why not?

What choice would you make when using this service?

Other Resources

The CBC article and interviews.

10 things to know about Yik Yak

Digital Citizenship resources developed by OSAPAC.

30 Days of THINK.

~Mark