Calgary was added to the list of cities used by Foursquare today. Foursquare is a social networking tool that goes beyond the simple ‘what are you doing?’ idea used by Twitter and Facebook status updates to ask ‘where are you?’
My experience with Foursquare, so far, has been via Twitter where I see my friends stating things like “I am at [this store] at [this address]” and it lists the exact address of where you are. I have even seen people become the ‘Mayor’ of a store/coffee shop/whereever they are, which, as I found by reading this article, you become a ‘mayor’ by playing the ’virtual game in which participants earn badges for checking in at various locations; those that check in most become a venue’s “mayor”‘ I have yet to see the ‘game’ aspect of Foursquare, aside from seeing a few people become the mayor of a location.
After it being in place for one day in Calgary, it has already made me uncomfortable and made me feel a bit privacy-invaded. Example: There is a coffee shop down the street from me where I like to stop and get lattes and I spend some evenings there reading the newspaper or a good book. I guess it is involved with Foursquare because I saw a guy I follow on Twitter tweet ‘I am at [my coffee shop] at [this address]“. I happened to be heading there for a coffee about an hour after that, and I became unsure about going because I knew he was there. Now, I have absolutely nothing against this person, and I have never met them in person, but I just felt so uncomfortable being there, knowing he was there too.
If I knew he was there and I was there too do I have some kind of social obligation to say hi to him? Did he recognize me? (I was the sketchy girl looking around all shifty-eyed.)
I will not be joining Foursquare. Between this blog and being active on Twitter, I need to have a modicum of privacy in my day to day life. I hope that Foursquare doesn’t prevent me from enjoying my favourite hangouts within my city from people advertising that they are there too. (I can be very awkward in person.)
Will you be joining Foursquare? What are your thoughts on it?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I want foursquare in London. I wouldn’t have your problem because I never go anywhere! :p
I understand your privacy concerns. I think D would remove the app from my ipod himself!
I would say that unless you have met the person you have no obligation to them.
I’m with you. Being active on Twitter and Facebook can still have a certain amount of privacy to it. People don’t need to know where I am and when I’m there. If I want someone to know, I’ll tell them personally, thanks.
I’m on foursquare and I kind of love it! For me, it is about the game and being able to track where I’m going and where my friends are if I want to meet up. I’m sadly competitive by nature so there is also an element of ‘winning’ at an easy game. What you’re uncomfortable with though, is something that you can easily remove. When you ‘ping’ where you are, you can make it private on twitter or not list the location. The beauty of foursquare in part is to be able to meet up with your friend.
That being said, I understand. My worst Sundays are the ones where I run to the fabric store in my pajamas, no makeup, and doo rag and blog reader recognizes me. Ugh.
I am with you. I dont think that I would really like that and it would completely make me second guess where I was. I love both blogging and twitter but at some point there has to be some privacy.
PS LOVE the new header and tag line
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I’m with you on that. I don’t get how it is a game, it certainly doesn’t sound like a fun game! It doesn’t bother me knowing where others are, but there’s no way I’m announcing to the whole internet my exact location at any given moment. That’s creepy.
Yeah I agree. Social media is getting a little too…social. There are times when I just want to vent, but I realize that I can’t be totally honest on any of the mediums available to me because someone I know might read it and take it the wrong way. I actually took a hiatus from blogging for this exact reason!
I agree with your thoughts here, it’s really become a stalker’s dream out there. Scary.
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