Combine Twitter, Facebook, healthy competition and an atlas and what do you get? Location-based services like Gowalla and Foursquare.
Location-based services are the new darling of the mobile web. They are getting a lot of press and growing exponentially. How does it work? “Check in” and these services share your current geographic location with a select group of friends… or the entire world. Although they create some legitimate privacy issues, you can have a lot of fun and discover your world in a whole new way if you keep a few things in mind.
Share my location? Are you kidding me?
Now, you may be thinking “why in the world would I want to tell other people where I am? I don’t want people to know where I bank!” You’re not alone. My wife has placed these services on her “dead-to-me” list. In many ways, your concerns are legitimate. Use these tools with a healthy dose of discernment.
Do’s and Dont’s
Do: Join a location-based service. I admit, it isn’t for everyone and it may not be your thing. You never know until you try. If you’re like me, you’ll have a lot of fun and learn about some great new places. Foursquare and Gowalla are the two most popular services. Odds are that your smartphone supports one or both of these services. Here is a great video to get you started on Foursquare.
Do: Be very careful about who you connect with using location-based services. If you’re careless, privacy will be the least of your concerns. If you don’t keep this friend list well-groomed, you’ll be even more annoyed than you are about your “friends” Farmville update on Facebook. Location-based services may end up being your most exclusive social network.
Don’t: Check-in at your house. People don’t need to know where you live and they don’t need to know when you are and aren’t there. My personal rule is this: only check-in at public places.
Don’t: Post your location updates to Twitter and Facebook. Let me rephrase that — don’t always post your location to Twitter and Facebook. If people wanted to see your location from Foursquare, they would join the service and add you as a contact.
My personal favorite location-based service is Gowalla. It isn’t quite as popular as Foursquare so it feels a bit more exclusive. Also, the interface and user experience seem a bit more fun on my iPhone. It even sports an awesome iPad app. Do you already use one of these services? I’d love to hear what you use and why.
