Last week, I succumbed and signed up to the ultimate app for making use of GSM technology: Foursquare. Initially, I was skeptical and thought that this was nothing more than a method for idiots to further self-indulge their egos or to stalk other self-indulgent idiots. Deciding that there may be more to it than that, I downloaded the app to my iphone and plugged in my details. Name, email address, password, birthday, stupid picture and request to link to my Twitter and Facebook pages. As I have more “real friends” on Facebook, I decided to spare them from the banality of my geographical whereabouts and just chose Twitter. My thinking behind this was that clients could see where I was and potential businesses could see that Webfunk don’t just stay in one place. Next step was to see who else was on Foursquare, using the application’s neat trick of scanning your gmail, Facebook and Twitter contacts. All the contacts magically appear before your eyes, and unlike some other social networking sites, it gives you the option of following the ones you want to cyber stalk and the ones you don’t. Easy.
So, once you’ve registered and added your friends, Foursquare tells you where in the world you are and nearby places. A flurry of locations appeared on my screen – the pub opposite my house, the local art’s centre, the 24 hour shop, the curry house. I learnt quickly that by “checking in” to a place a certain number of times you become “Mayor”. Fevourishly, I checked my local pub: no Mayor! Quick! Without bothering to run over to my “less than a stone’s throw local” I checked in and. Behold! I had unlocked a “Newbie” badge. Instantly, I had become a Foursquare addict.
Checking in to the pub from my house was cheating and it’s something that Foursquare have cracked down on. Before, people could check in to their favourite location if they were a few more than a hundred metres away. Now, Foursquare uses your mobile phone’s GPS location (other tactics are used for phones without GPS) to verify your whereabouts and to reward only those people that check-in at the place in question. Checkins that appear to take place far from the venue users are trying to checkin to trigger the “cheater code” and block incentives. Clever stuff. Foursquare want you to work hard for your incentive points.
So, out of guilt (well, kind of), I checked in physically to my local pub.
To entice you to check in, Foursquare awards you with various amusing badges. If you’re a “Bender” you’ve checked in somewhere every evening for 4 nights in a row. “Gym Rats” check in to the gym more than a couple of times a week and “Jet Setters” have checked in at more than 5 airports.
The latest Foursquare technology now enables you to check in without even touching your phone. Your Foursquare contacts can see where you are while you obliviously stroll from one haunt to the next. I can see the advantages and disadvantage with this. As is the case with all new technologies, there are teething problems and the GPS estimations are sometimes a bit “out”. You can see how accusations of affairs may start. “What were you doing at the neighbour’s house today?!” Maybe I’m being too cynical and perhaps this technology could be used as an effective marketing tool. By checking into a certain area and “shouting” that you’re free for a meeting, you can reach thousands of potential businesses, especially if this is shared with Twitter and Facebook.
For Webfunk, Twitter has been a fantastic tool for meeting new people and joining networks. Foursquare takes it to another level. Not only can my contacts know where I am or what I do, anyone in the vicinity can. Also, earning badges and mayorships is pretty addictive too… now, how can I become the mayor of my local….?