A few weeks ago I deleted my foursquare account. I had considered simply leaving it there as an ode to the many places I had been mayor but I couldn’t handle seeing e-mails come in with friend requests from people I did not know who lived in places I never care to visit. So I hit the delete and left the world of checkins.
I am a big proponent of location information because I see the value it COULD add to the massive data we are collecting on social networks. Imagine the next natural disaster being mapped with location aware status updates telling reporters, law enforcement and rescue teams where things are happening and how bad they are. Nice in theory, but finding out uncle Ted is mayor of Pizza Hut isn’t quite hitting the mark.
Most of the “promotions” on these services make almost no sense. If I go to Starbucks 60 times and become mayor I get what, 10% off a latte? Joy, I spend $300 & save $1, thanks. If I try a new bar I can get overpriced appetizers fifty cents cheaper. Let me race out and do that, oh and it’s $10 beer night too, wow this is amazing!
The worst is when people hook these services up to their Twitter and Facebook and you get nothing but an endless stream of checkins. Uncle Ted is now mayor of the gas station, super!
The immediate thing that could help these services out would be people chronicling real accomplishments and experiences at these places. Went to the gym? What did you do? Who was there? What fun transpired? Went to Pizza Hut? Was the waitress good looking? Did you get a great deal? Did the checkered tablecloth remind you of going there as a kid and did it jog some memory you hadn’t recalled in years?
The story is missing in these boring updates. The important bit of life is not where you are but what you are doing there. Without these stories all of the services are little more than homing beacons letting people target your life and end your privacy.
I dropped the world of checkins and have no desire to go back. I want to story of other peoples lives, not coordinates on a map.
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Tags: Social Media Politics
