CLOO: The Socially Networked Toilet

The brilliant (or incredibly stupid) idea behind CLOO is to use social networking to make it easier to find somewhere to pee in big cities. The CLOO website explains:

CLOO' is based on one simple truth— we all have to pee. Though in urban cities finding a clean, available restroom is difficult & frustrating. That’s where CLOO' comes in.

CLOO' is a community of registered users who choose to share their bathrooms and make city-living easier, while earning a small profit. Using social media connections, CLOO' shows what friends you have in common with the host, turning a stranger’s loo into a friend of a friend’s loo.


cloo

It's one of those concepts that raises so many problematic issues that you have to wonder whether it's real or just a joke. And people have been asking this question on twitter. To which CLOO responds that they're "quite real".

I suspect CLOO is meant to be taken seriously. There have been other strange toilet ideas that turned out to be real. Remember the Microsoft iLoo?

However, in an interview with CNET the people behind CLOO — Hillary Young and Deanna McDonald — admit that they have no funding to take their concept out of a prototype stage. Which makes its reality status a moot point. (Thanks, Bob!)

Gross Social Media Websites

Posted on Thu Sep 08, 2011


Comments

Although I wouldn't go as far as wanting to invite people into my home so they can use the loo, I think a database of toilets in an area would be handy 😊
God knows I've been caught out with a niece or nephew while out and about which has resulted in a mad dash to the nearest tree with me playing lookout while a small child gets their pants off in public...pretty dodgy!
Posted by Nettie  on  Fri Sep 09, 2011  at  09:57 AM
Nettie, see http://www.toiletmap.gov.au/

Public toilets in Australia have long been mapped, in a joint project between all Australian governments and councils, businesses who generously allow their toilets to be used by the public, incontinence suffers, and many others. The website and project coordination is provided by the federal government out of general taxation revenue.

The map data is made available for free and as a result is included is most online maps (including Google and OpenStreetMap), GPS maps and printed street maps (UBD, etc).
Posted by GdtAu  on  Sun Sep 18, 2011  at  07:04 PM
Hey, I just found an iPhone app called "Show the Loo" for toilets in Australia.

Although it would be great if the government produced a "Loo App" for the iPhone and iPad. So when will that be coming GdtAu?

I typed the above with a straight face.
Posted by Peter  on  Sun Oct 02, 2011  at  05:50 AM
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.