Just when you were learning how to send Tweets on Twitter…there’s a new social media network that wants to link you to your friends. It is called FourSquare and is part connection tool and part game…depending on just how social you are, you could end up being named the Mayor of your favorite social gathering spot!

So, what is the deal?  Well, more and more technology is dedicated to connecting people. Just look at the way that Social Media is taking the world by storm…Twitter and Facebook ask users to answer one simple question…what is on your mind?  Foursquare answers the question where are you and what are you doing?

Now Foursquare notifies your friends of your location every time you “check in”.  You can use your cell phone to check in from almost anywhere…at a coffee shop, bar, restaurant, art gallery or even The Daily Records offices, and when you check in, Foursquare alerts your friends to your current location so they can drop by and say hello.

What is so special about Foursquare? Foursquare has several competitors, but has attracted more attention because it incorporates elements of gaming and social competition. Most people are very competitive (whether they know it or not) and Foursquare awards points and virtual badges to players depending on how often they go out and which places they visit. The top designation is when you become the Mayor of your favorite location. How can you become the Mayor? Simple…just check in from your fav hangout more than anyone else.

Anyone can join Foursquare, all you need is a phone with text capability or preferably access to the web so that you can check in and also receive updates of where your friends are. You can even check in from your PC if need be. For the best experience, you will need to load an app on your phone. The Foursquare iPhone or Android apps use the phone’s GPS to determine your location and suggest nearby establishments to check in from.  An app for Blackberry is on its way.

What about privacy concerns?  Of course there are some privacy concerns with Foursquare, as you may not want everyone knowing exactly where you are. But, like other social networking sites, you can tweak the settings so only certain people know of your whereabouts.

Have a great time and I’ll see you around Baltimore!

Tags: Facebook, FourSquare, online communities, social media, social networking, technology, Twitter

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 10:33 am and is filed under Social Networking, Tech Topics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.