For the longest time, I gave foursquare.com users a hard time about how lame I thought the app was (CLICK HERE for more info).
Finally, I decided I shouldn’t make fun of it if I had never tried it. So, I signed up and gave it a good run for a few months. I used it so much, OTHER people made fun of me.
All that to say this: I feel I can give a more accurate review now. And here it is…
STILL LAME!!!
So… I still don’t really get it. You’re supposedly promised to get discounts and free coffee drinks as the “Mayor” of certain areas… but I haven’t really seen that at all. One good thing I see about it is that it allows people to see other people’s reviews regarding certain shops, retailers, etc. That’s great… but I think I can get more reviews from Yelp!.
As a mother that is alone with her young children for most of the day, I don’t see how this is a good for everyone to know where you’re at all the time. In fact, I think the dumbest thing to do is tag your own HOME and “check-in” when you’re there (hence, PleaseRobMe.com).
However, I do somewhat like the “game” aspect of it… collecting points and such. Games are fun. However, it’s no longer fun once you get a stalker… or get robbed. So, if you play, play responsibly. To all of you who may be more paranoid, like me, here are a few tips I’d like to give you if you REALLY want to play:
1. ”Check-In” only when you’re with groups of other people in more public places.
It’s never fun meeting a stalker when you’re alone. It’s so much more fun to surprise him with 20 of your closest NINJA friends. Seriously, though… I don’t usually “check-in” somewhere if I’m alone or if it’s isolated.
2. ”Check-In” when you’re leaving instead of when you’re showing up.
Honestly, this gives me a little peace-of-mind just because by the time a “stalker” gets there… my kiddos and I are long gone. I’m not saying I’m super popular… but I’m just thinking and looking out for the safety of me and my kids.
3. Don’t “Check-In” at home.
If you are addicted to gathering points, don’t tag the exact location of your home. Drag the pinpoint into a nearby park or swamp. Maybe even into the middle of a busy highway. I personally won’t even do that, because I don’t need strangers even knowing what AREA I live in.
4. Don’t “Check-In” at other people’s homes.
Seriously… that’s just rude.
5. Deactivate the badge updates from Facebook and Twitter.
Really. No one BESIDES other Foursquare users care if you’re the “Mayor” of the 76 Gas Station and they DEFINITELY don’t care that you’ve “unlocked the KRUNKED badge”. Thank you, Brent, for letting me know how to deactivate this. Now, I’m passing on this morsel of goodness on to you. Save us all.
So, there you go. I gave it a shot. Will I still use it? I don’t know… maybe just to remain the “Mayor” at Church! at Bethany to irritate Matt. So far, that has been one of the only positives of using this app.
It looked incredibly dumb to me at the beginning and I haven’t used it. Good to know I wasn’t missing anything!
i only started using foursquare cause you did.
it has been more depressing than useful…
work, grocery store, post office, bank, home, repeat. such is my life.
i love that you copycat me!
hugs forever!
Its okay, but nothing to tweet about.
That was a lame pun, you know like nothing to write home about. Ya I know, I am funny
hilarious… HAHA!!!
Funny. I got interviewed a couple of weeks ago by the local paper about foursquare.
http://www.ctpost.com/default/article/Experts-Social-networking-sites-could-make-users-415413.php
I’m reminded of the disclaimer at the beginning of the old Monty Python Flying Circus shows that bassically said “if you’re going to be offended, don’t watch.” So I guess my response would be “if you’re going to be scared, don’t play.”
The point of the whole deal is to meet up with friends. So checking in when you’re leaving is kind of counter productive. But I would agree with you in this: a little common sense goes a long way. I don’t have my address listed, but it is helpful to check in at home. People don’t need to see me check in at church or work to know I won’t be home during those hours. But if they wanna come over, they can introduce themselves to Ginger, my pitbull/lab mix.
I suppose at the end of the day, if it makes you feel vulnerable, don’t play. It’s just a game after all. That’s the beauty of an opt-in service. But let people enjoy their fun without derision.
Except Farmville. That’s just lame.
i think everyone uses foursquare for different reasons. i don’t use it to meet up with friends. for me to check-in with two young kids with me and wait around for friends to show up is counter productive. but i’m also a pretty scheduled person with a running checklist.
i DO check in to church, but it’s cuz i’m with everyone else and i’d love for people to join me there.
mike, all you’ve said is valid… but the reality is for me, as a woman with two young children… it’s just safer to be more careful with all these things. it’s not a “don’t play”… it’s a “play safe”.
I don’t live near a swamp.
you should.
Good post Jenni and I agree with your suggestions. I would add 1 more. Only check into Foursquare, when you would have tweeted about it in the first place. This adds value. To a thought, you add information, maybe a picture. Thats’ great social media presence.
Social Media is about value. How does it add value to your life and do you add value to others. could be relational, could be informative, could be helpful. If our presence in social media has no value…its dumb. If social media has no value to us…its dumb.
I think location based services are at the forefront of this discussion right now. Twitter was 2 years ago. Facebook was last year. now…location services. Some will grow to love it, some will hate it, some wont care or even try it.
I saw this interview yesterday. It is with John Kim of Whrrl (Which by the way, is a very cool location based service. Killer features!). The interviewer is terrible, but john’s info is excellent!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InfxqdYvdMs
EXACTLY, Brent.
love your addition!
So, I am also a copycat. I downloaded it after I saw you using the heck out of it because I was curious. I also figured you had a good reason for using it. Imagine my disappointment now!
I signed up for an account then realized you were the only other person I knew who used it and I suspect that we probably aren’t going to be able to just meet up from time to time thanks to foursquare. You know, that whole we live like 300 miles apart these days thing.
So, I deleted it from my phone without even using it.
Having had a cyberstalker or two, I totally get where you’re coming from on the idea of using social media carefully, regardless of which thing you use. I have privacy settings on Facebook and since my Twitter account is connected to that, I post carefully to Twitter as I did before to just Facebook, because I live in a small town where a lot of folks know me because of my profession. And quite a few of those folks are FB friends. And so is my boss.
Like anything technology related, boundaries are a good idea, in my opinion. I leave my cell phone on the kitchen counter at night. I don’t approve just anyone who wants to be friends on Facebook. I block spammers on Twitter.
This reminds me, I should go check on my privacy settings on Buzz in my Gmail account.
protect away.
once it’s out there… it’s OUT.
I decided to experiment with foursquare for the month of March, to see what it was all about. I have to say…I don’t get it. It really holds no value for me. I’m kind of like Crystal, I seem to frequent the same places on a daily basis. I don;t know if that’s sad, or I’m just *that* structured. Maybe that’s sad, too!
I dumped 4square and I haven’t looked back.
you’re really not missing much!
Maybe someday.
Look, you don’t “get” 4sq – well, I don’t get the Zippo Lighter app on my iPhone, but do I use it? Sometimes. Is it pointless? Somewhat. Do I hold it up in the air and wave it around like I just don’t care at concerts and whenever the pastor makes a good point from the pulpit at church? Yes.
I think I’ve made a solid case for using 4square. BOOM!
yeah. TOTALLY solid.
bless your heart, bill!
I would totally be the mayor of my condo, but Riley wouldn’t let me.
PS: I find foursquare annoying. Just do.
It’s pretty lame since it takes five minutes to tell me where I am and then the place isn’t even listed and I waste another couple minutes adding it then it never lets be the mayor anyway. Going for the longest run on sentence ever. Lame, Lame, Lame!