Location-based social networking: I don’t get it
What’s your take on location-based social networking? Am I missing something here?
Location-based social networking via services such as Foursquare and Gowalla is becoming increasingly popular, but I just don’t get it. Sorry, but I have absolutely no interest in knowing that somebody is buying diapers in London Drugs, that they’ve unlocked the Porky badge (whatever that is) or that, in their deluded eyes, they’re now the mayor of their local Co-op gas station. Really, I do not care. I simply do not see why anybody feels the need to broadcast their whereabouts – or why anybody is interested in knowing it. Okay, maybe I would want to know if something interesting was going down – like the bank that they were in was being robbed by Darth Vader – but how often does that actually happen? In my experience, absolutely never – people are always doing stuff that’s completely uninteresting.
For the benefit of people who are not familiar with location-based social networking, an explanation is probably in order. Here’s how Foursquare describe their service:
Foursquare is a mobile application that is a cross between a friend-finder, a social city-guide, and a game that encourages users to explore their neighborhoods and rewards them for doing so. We do this by combining our friend-finder functionality and social city guide elements with game mechanics — our users earn points, win mayorships and unlock badges and specials for trying new places and revisiting old favorites.
*yawn*
And you can set these applications to automatically update your Twitter and Facebook accounts – or both if you want to be really annoying! – in order that all of your contacts will be updated with fascinating tidbits about your current location and activities.
*yawn*
What do you think about these services? Am I missing out on something? Or are they simply another way for screen addicts to keep their fingers busy while simultaneously making life easier for burglars? Leave a comment and let us know! Oh, and in case you’re interested – I’m not writing this in Starbucks, I’m not at the park on 4th Street, nor am I currently in a scummy bathroom in a local gas station. If you want to know my location, use your imagination; it’s much more exciting than the real thing. :-)
If I was still in the age group where I could be at one of many bars many nights a week, I could see the value. I’m not, so I don’t.
I also don’t seen the point in following average people’s twitter feeds and facebook status updates either. I’m 40 and boring, and so are most of my friends.
I think this is one of the negative sides of the computer age…..nothing is secretive and people are getting even dumber….As for me,I’m 100% cautious and aware of the unsafe internet environment ….I hope people learn
As you so aptly say, “YAWN” (and permit me to add: “YAWN, YAWN, YAWN”
At my age I don’t WANT to know where my kids are. Or my grandkids (probably doing something I consider extremely dangerous and foolish)
AND I DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT MY FRIENDS ARE DOING AT ANY PRECISE MOMENT.
hear hear hear
The next world war will be fought not by bombs and guns and such foolishness, but by the first nation that can direct beams to circumvent ALL electronic impulses. GONE will be Twitter, Facebook etc etc. Even your cars will not start. Internet? Forget it !! PC’s ? NO MORE !! Your fridges – back to ice-boxes; stoves, microwaves (these little devils are gaining in popularity daily. I know one person who has a microwave in his bathroom!), Off-road vehicles; speed boats (back to row, row, rowing your boat very gently down the stream!).
Whatever that now depends on electronics to function – gone, gone, gone.
OH! THE NERVOUS BREAKDOWNS that will ensue! POOR LITTLE JOHNNY WILL HAVE TO GO OUT AND PLAY BASEBALL. LOSE SOME OF THAT JIGGLY FAT !!!
ihope i hope i hope
Yolanda said it all
I’ve noticed that most negative comments about the uselessness of social networking are made by those who do not use them. Sure some people post all types of silly non-sense, but not the majority. I am on Tweeter and I have learned a lot about people, social media as well having met very interesting personalities that I wouldn’t normally have met.
If one judges a book by its cover, one will usually end up making the arriving at the wrong conclusion.
For me I study 14 hour per day and on call 24/7 several day per week. My friends tells me what they are doing and we all keep in touch. We limit our SM to our closest friends, unless it is something special like a wedding and we must coordinate our self. Too many people take it to an extreme, each person know only about 6 real friends in our A group, a few in the B group and C is very occasional like three time per year.
When the commercial web first started to emerge, a lot of people didn’t know what to do with it, and figured it was a flash in the pan. “Build it and they will come” was a common answer when people questioned why they should build web sites for their businesses. Social media is still in that stage, somewhat. But the social media genie is not going back in the bottle, anymore than the web genie did. Location-based social media is for particular types of location-based businesses and activities. Restaurants in particular are finding location-based social media very useful, as are emergency services. Social media is still finding its feet, and people are still making a lot of mistakes with it. There are a lot of snake-oil salesmen in the social media business, and criminals are combing the social media arena for opportunities. But don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
I agree Susan. Though I don’t see a lot of value in services like Foursquare at the moment, I have a feeling they’re on to something. Location is a critical piece of info, which when combined with right need, or circumstance could yield something very valuable indeed. But I also agree with comments posted on some other blogs – the whole “check-in” aspect of these services needs to go away. Either you want to share your whereabouts or you don’t. Having to whip out your device every time you enter a shop to tell people you’re there is ridiculous.
This is a growing trend I find completely unnecessary and detrimental to reality based life. What I mean is that everywhere you look you see faces and fingers glued to a screen but ask these people what time it is or where something is located and a blank stare will greet your question. I see parents pushing strollers or ‘watching’ their kids at playgrounds texting or on the internet. It makes one wonder just how self-important these people are that they cannot take a simple walk without that square piece of overpriced plastic embedded into their palms. Buried under the overblown cliches, mixed metaphors and excuses is the simple fact that all this so-called social media is just another reason to be self-centred, spending zombies….
The thing that gets me is that the people using these services are the same ones that fight tooth and nail against street corner police cameras or even security cameras in general.
To continue this train of thought: Our government wants to get rid of the long census form because someone said it is an invasion of privacy and yet these same people will tweet or facebook about their activities!
Yes, I do not use facebook or Tweeter or whatever social networking site is available. I try to get out and meet my friends!
The best social-networking is: actually going out there meeting people, period
It’s getting harder and harder to find actual news articles these days without tripping over every two bit blog. These need to go more than social networking.
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