Are you planning on getting Google Glass? Then don't be creepy--at least according to Google. The company has warned beta testers of the new product to "behave with civility and decorum" in an open letter.
What prompted this letter is uncertain. It's possible that users might have been acting oddly in the field, but more likely Google is nipping any potential behavioral issues in the bud. The open letter is a type of etiquette list that essentially states the Dos and Don'ts of Google Glass.
"Our Glass Explorer community, which consists of people from all walks of life, actively participate in shaping the future of Glass," the letter states. "With new technology comes new questions, and our Explorers help to answer those questions."
First off, users should not "Glass-out" by staring continually at the small screen as the world continues around them. That's probably sound advice considering how small the screen is and the fact that other people might think the user looks rather odd just standing around and seemingly looking at nothing. You also shouldn't use Google Glass while doing high impact sports, or wear the device and expect to be ignored; since it is a new piece of technology, it's likely that people are going to stop to ask you questions.
Yet the most important takeaway from the list is to not be a "Glasshole" by being creepy or rude. Google encourages users to be polite and ask permission before recording anything. It makes sense; after all, who wants to interact with the person secretly recording you in the corner of the room? It also shows that Google is being preemptive when it comes to potential behavior issues with the new technology.
Currently, Google Glass is expected to be released to the public some time in 2014.
