Post on 28-Jan-2015
description
WHAT IS FOURSQUARE?Image by smemon87 - Flickr
By Elizabeth Cameron
We’ve all heard of Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace...
Image by Webtreats - Flickr
But the latest buzz in Social
Media is about something called
Foursquare.
Image by Editor B – Flickr
Which begs the question...
and how does it work?
Image by Juliaklarman - Flickr
what exactly is Foursquare,
Foursquare works with your Mobile Phone or Smartphone.
It works with a GPS system, allowing
you to “Check In” at any given
location.
Image by Prayitno - Flickr
Once you “check in” to a place, all of your Foursquare friends
can see where you are.
You can post your Foursquare activity to Twitter as well!
Image by Wharman - Flickr
You can check up on your friends to see where they’ve been
and read any recommendations they have for places to explore.
Image by Katatoniq - Flickr
You can also review and recommend places yourself.
Image by Shorts and Longs - Flickr
“unlock the world and find happiness around the corner”
- The Foursquare homepage
Image by Midiman - Flickr
As you go more places you can unlock badges and earn points.
Image by Dpstylestm - Flickr
If you visit a particular place more frequently than any other Foursquare user...
You get to become the Mayor of that place. Image by Christian.Terboven -
Flickr
Foursquare users compete with their friends to maintain their Mayoral status...
Almost like a Social Media Shootout.
Image by Meddy Garnet - Flickr
So, now that we know a little bit more about Foursquare,we can ask...
Who uses it?
Image by Hello Turkey Toe - Flickr
According to Foursquare’s website, they have about 8 million users worldwide (as of April 2011)
with 35, 000 new users every day.
Image by Robert Scoble - Flickr
So that puts Foursquare at approximately 8 million users,
Twitter at approximately200 million users,
And Facebook at over 600 million users.
(Based on reports by the BBC and Goldman Sachs)
Image by TimothyJ - Flickr
Even though Foursquare has been around since 2009,
It is still the baby of the group.
Image by StewC - Flickr
The ability to “check in” on your Smartphone is not unique to Foursquare.
Facebook Places also allows you to “check in” and posts your location to your Wall.Image by J. Scott 2
When 1000 UK Teens were polled...Facebook Places took Foursquare down:
44% “checked in” with Facebook,
27%“checked in” with Foursquare
Image by Familymwr - Flickr
and those are the teens who DO “check in.”
58% of the teens from the same poll said they “didn’t see the point” in “checking in.”
The full story is here: http://www.tnooz.com/2011/05/14/news/half-of-teenagers-have-never-heard-of-location-check-ins/
Image by JRphoto12 - Flickr
Even worse news for Foursquare... 45% of the teens polled felt that “checking in” is unsafe. Image by Seabamirum - Flickr
This “Techno-panic” is not completely unjustified. “Checking in” does mean revealing your exact location to all of your Foursquare friends.
Could this lure potential stalkers?Image: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/hear_me_out/are-gps-phone-tracking-and-apps-like-foursquare-safe
Will Foursquare ever become a Social Media giant like Facebook or Twitter...
or has Facebook already rendered it redundant?
Image by Ianv - Flickr
Will Foursquare still be around in a year...
Or will it go the way of the dinosaur?
Otherwise known as...“the way of MySpace”
Image by Jez.atkinson - Flickr
Image by tsuacctnt - Flickr
All images are licensed under the Creative Commons Non-Commercial Share-Alike Agreement, and sourced from Flickr