Dodgeball Gets Googled

Dodgeball users now have the option to merge their accounts with Google. It is an SMS-based social check-in service. Dodgeball was purchased in 2005 and this is the third major change to their system since the acquisition. The first was the great addition of check-in maps - a quick gance to see where people in your social network have been too lately. The second was the addition of a shortcode (post). Now, they have "formally" become a Google service. I am curious to see where this change leads. Perhaps you'll be able to get your dodgeball check-ins exported in KML for use in Google Earth.

This is not surprising at all and we can expect this to happen to any service that Google (or Yahoo! or Microsoft or AOL or any company) buys. Though not surprising, it is concerning that some people (ahem, me) will have so many services linked to one ID that can be cracked or subpoenaed. Though there will be greater convenience with this change it also brings on greater ricks. Chris Messina has more on this line of thinking.