Micro hooker robots taking over the world?

I love robots. Big ones, small ones, clever ones, dangerous ones armed to the teeth, stupid ones, subservient ones and robots with a social conscience. So I'm taking a look at www.robo.to today after stumbling across it in the New York Times in an article by Jenna Wortham about micro video blogging. It's really quite interesting and this robo creature could take over the world. Unless the real world wakes up one day and says fuck it lets go outside and roll in some mud, it's not like we need more robots.

It's like Twitter meets LinkedIn meets Flickr meets YouTube all in one boiled down n spicy robo-reggae-sauce. The main big deal is the 4 second video status update. You can use photos too. Shoot something and send it in. Update your Facebook and Twitter profile instamatically. Bobs yer uncle. If you shoot over 4 secs it even chops your movie down. Hey presto no fiddly editing. Best of all its super simple and uses some slick 2zero tech with sweet n savoury features.

This things gonna go two ways, it's highly likely to get swamped by porn and bot vid hookers, crammmmmed full of daily dull as dishwater drearyness [I'm already bored of the guy eating food], or people are gonna use it to be super creative ---> in 4 second flat-pack robo style.

Good robo things:

1. Looks great. Sounds great - it's got personality on so many different levels. Almost works great too.

2. Upload 4 sec updates via email works, really fast. And you can get a fresh private mailto address on the fly. Neat. P.S. I don't have an iRobot Phone.

3. Features in simple flexible modules like GoogleMe (sweet), LinkedIn, Google map that lets you can choose zoom level for privacy [or for hookers right down to your favourite back alley]. And no need to click save for everything you do. My mum wouldn't have a clue - in a good way. Mind you failed to get Flickr working (no bother).

Bad robot and annoying stuff:

1. My robo profile page [http://robo.to/benferrier] failed to display the movies I uploaded by email ;-< Plain daft. The same videos work fine in the robo TV mode. Derrrrrrr.

1.1 Actually robo fans the TV mode should be the default view really. The movies r where the robo meal ticket is right? Currently its a bit disjointed and it's a bugger to get to - you'd never know it was there if you didn't find it. Obvious. Obviously.

2. Can not edit the video names / tags once you've uploaded / added them - the only option is to delete videos completely. Not a big deal. Not a big ask? Pain in the rusty robo ass.

3. Embed code for 4 sec vids flips the video inside out. Weird. Actually quite funny if you're using text - hey presto instant geek Greek - or if your face is asymmetrical or if you have a tattooed face [dick head].

Stupid ideas of my own:

1. Suck in Facebook friends, Twitter followers / followings, friend feed chums, noble country-men etc automatically into 'my crowd' - make crowd forming as easy as finding Elton Johns phone number in the men's room.

2. Import my Favourites list on to my profile - from IE etc, Twitter or both. Would be quite cool for LinkedIn, Blogger, Facebook too. Let people know what you're into etc. Has anyone done that already? It's a bit of a spazzer idea int it.

3. Give my robo weapons of mass social destruction. Give him an Androidian upgrade and dusty bins your uncle your one giant robo step away from landing synthetic human kind on Mars. Enuff.

4. Have some robo fun. What about a robo dufus of the day, global mexican robo wave app, robo Guess Who, all you can doodle, say, or do 4 second robo contest.


Right then, I've shared my ideas with the guys @particle on their handy feedback site. Actually I haven't in all this glorious filthy detail. Read my feedback on Get Satisfaction. BTW it was annoying that I had to sign in separately to feedback using GS. If only I could sign in with Twitter, Facebook, Google or my Robo details etc would have been nice. Grumbling bastard aren't I. Look forward to seeing this lot sorted out by this time next week.

Go robo. Thanks.

UPDATE 23rd Sept: Great service in response to my feedback to the guys at robo.to. Seems my profile card videos are working for you humans out there in the inter-world, but not for me when I'm logged in. Here's a shot of my robo page as it should look like all the time above and when it's buggy below..