Find out what your friends really think of you with Noknok
Chances are you've heard of the phrase "Ignorance is bliss." The opinion on whether that's true or not varies among different people, but the creators of Noknok seem to disagree with the statement. Noknok is a new app that informs you of how your contacts saved your name in their own iPhone. Both parties must have the app installed and everyone is kept anonymous, but your contacts' names for you reveal a potentially hidden truth about how they feel about you. The app is free for iPhone.
At first I thought that Noknok having to be installed on both parties' devices in order to see the contact name would be its major downfall. I told a few friends about the app and they were immediately intrigued. When I mentioned the potential deal breaker, it didn't end up bothering anyone. Usually when people (at least people I know) hear that they have to download yet another app to do something, it's met with discontent. Not this time though. Perhaps the curiosity of knowing what others really think of you outweighs the hassle of installing a new app.
I logged in with Facebook and to my delight, one of my contacts already had Noknok downloaded. It turns out that particular contact named me "Crancky George" on their phone. Yes, the person probably meant "cranky." As you might imagine, I was deeply offended. The opinions of anonymous human beings incapable of properly spelling two-syllable adjectives usually send me into hours of soul searching.
To the right of the contact name is a Chat icon to anonymously message the person who granted you the nickname. I wiped away my tears and tapped it. Noknok brings me to an anonymous chat window with an important reminder that the chat is "incognito" and all it takes to reveal the identity of the person is to just ask them directly in a message. Whether they answer is up to them.
That's really all there is to Noknok. It's not something most should have to check on a daily basis. However, after telling a few friends and reopening the app, I discovered someone else had download the app because a new name for meappeared in the "Rep" list: George Tinari. That one has more of a ring to it.
Noknok calls the list of names a Rep list because it's supposed to reveal what your reputation is among friends, assuming they don't actually just call you by your name in their contacts. Every contact in my phone is just the person's first and last name, but maybe I'm just too boring. Or cranky.
The app is a clever concept and if all of your friends get on board with downloading it, it makes for amusing conversations. You may not be happy with the app if you're easily offended though; be able to laugh at yourself if you come across any negativity. There's always a chance of getting an ego boost out of some of the names as well. Noknok carries potential to take off especially among teens and twenty-somethings. Grab it in the App Store for free.
