What if your boss wants you on Google Latitude?

Lots of great questions are bubbling around the internet this week with the recent launch of Latitude for Google Maps.

If you’re not familiar with Latitude, in a nutshell it allows you track your friends whereabouts on Google Maps using the GPS system built in to their mobile device. Your friend has to allow you access to do this of course. You send them a request to track them and they have to accept before you see anything.

You can imagine the “big brother is watching” conversations that have ensued since its launch.

For me, because the service is only available to those you allow to track you, I see some much more practical ramifications of Google Latitude. For instance, what if your boss sends you a request to track your movements on Latitude? After all, it’s the company’s phone and why should you be worried about anything if you are where you say you are?

So do you let your boss follow you? And what does it say about you if you refuse the request?

I posed the question to friends and Twitter followers over the last couple of days and they had some great ideas:

Some said accept the request, and then:

1. Courier your phone around the world
2. Buy another phone and leave the work one on your desk
3. Turn off the GPS function
4. Destroy the GPS function

Someone suggested a very practical approach:

“Ask for what purpose, and if it’s for work hours only? And ask if you can follow him back.” (I think this is the best one)

Others said they would pretty much tell their boss to shove it:

1. “Just say no.”

2. “2 words: hell no. I’m already on your payroll and you want to know what I do in my free time? Forget it.” (my second favorite idea)

And finally there was the poor soul who requested to follow their boss on Latitude and, “my boss refused to let me follow him.”

So what do you think? Latitude could definitely make things awkward around the office.

Now what about when your girlfriend pings you wanting to track your every move on Latitude!?

Thanks to all the people that helped me write this post by offering up their thoughts, including @theJLV - @mkuplens - @exitpass - @illied - @jstoub - @julesjulesjules -

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