A few months back we reported that Twitter was developing a geolocational API to embed location information into your tweets - and in the same post, spoke out against the feature, calling it an invitation for trouble. The geolocational feature, which is entirely on an opt-in basis, would allow users to embed geolocational information into their tweets without using up any of their 140 characters - basically, to tell people where they're doing what they're doing. Some users have been using third-party applications to do this already, but this new feature will allow them to embed that information directly into the fabric of the tweet itself.

That geolocational feature has now gone live, according to Twitter's blog post on the subject, Think Globally, Tweet Locally. As previously stated, the feature exists entirely on an opt-in basis, meaning that by default, users will not have this feature enabled. That's a good thing, since I'm personally still of the opinion that it's a terrible idea and that it opens up the potential for all kinds of malignant activity for stalkers, thieves and general sketchyheads.

Here are three good reasons NOT to use Twitter's Geolocational API:

1. Thieves are already using Twitter for information, and your exact current location simply makes their jobs much, much easier.

As reported earlier this year, there has already been at least one Twitter-related robbery, after a Twitter user tweeted the status of his vacation status to the entire world and arrived at his destination to discover that his home had been broken into. The thieves used Twitter to ensure that he was out of the home, and then burglarized him. With the geolocational API, you don't even have to tell people that you're away from your home on vacation - they can simply see where your tweets are coming from.

2. Cyber-stalking is very real, and geolocational information makes it a significantly larger threat.

Cyberstalking has been recognized as a crime in several states since as far back as 1999, and by all accounts, the problem of cyberstalking is getting worse, not getting better. With the proliferation of social networking, it's getting easier and easier to gain the trust of a potential stalkee and gain access to sensitive information about them, including their current home address, contact information, and so on. Twitter's geolocational API will make that problem far more significant. If you think cyberstalking on Twitter isn't an issue, you should probably drop by Tweetstalk, a third-party application which allows you to "stalk" a Twitter user, following them without them actually knowing you're following them. Fantastic.

3. Twitter's Geo-Locational API can get you into a lot of trouble with your boss, spouse or just about whoever.

Decided to call in sick for the day so you could make a trip to the mall and get some Christmas shopping done? Just make sure you don't send out any tweets while you're out, because with Twitter's new geolocational API, pretty much anyone can quickly confirm that you are or are not where you say you are. The potential for people getting into trouble with spouses, bosses, or just about whoever is enormous - we predict that in less than a month you'll hear about the first geolocational API incidents, and within six months we'll see the first divorce case with Twitter geolocational information presented as evidence.

These are just three possible ways that Twitter's geolocational API can get you into some seriously deep trouble - I'm sure you can think of a dozen more such examples, if you put your mind to it. Do yourselves a favor and skip this unnecessary feature - after all, if you really want to let people know where you are, you can always just tell them.