Citing privacy concerns and not wanting strangers to know where I was every moment I checked in to a location, I deleted my Foursquare account 14 months ago. Recalling the ensuing storm of comments my action caused in the fall of 2010, it was evident some people were passionate I made the right decision and others felt I should give the location-based application a second chance.
Was the second camp right?
Forrester Research recently surveyed 37,000 mobile users and in its report issued this month, a mere 2% of those users had Foursquare accounts.
My past caught up with me.
I’ll bet those Foursquare users are also active tweeters, only because when I created a new account a few days ago and was prompted to select friends to share my check-ins with, there were about 50 Facebook friends with Foursquare accounts but a whopping 500 Twitter friends with the accounts.
Make no mistake I’m an early adopter of technology. Time will tell to what degree I will use Foursquare and, while I remain concerned about privacy ramifications when people know where you are, I wanted to share with you that I recreated my account.
I do not intend to check in to every place I visit, as some do when they order cafe lattes and pancakes. But, I might.
I also don’t intend to check into far-away locations unless I want people to know I’m not home. But, I might.
For the short term, I’m only going to befriend people who live in a certain radius from me and who I trust explicitly to not abuse our relationship. But, I might share those status updates with strangers.
Despite the small percentage of internet users who are using location-based services on their smartphones and mobile devices based on that Forrester survey, there is no doubt that companies are paying attention and offering coupons to active patrons.
- To what extent do geography and demography play a part in Foursquare users and companies?
- How are social influence sites such as Klout and PeerIndex involved?
- What are the benefits to nonprofits? How should companies do it?
- Do more people check into locations who tweet than those who only use Facebook?
- Is the concern of privacy real or imagined?
There are many questions. Foursquare may not be mainstream but its users are having a fun time with it. People like checking into locations so many times to receive points and special deals. People like merit badges such as that of Mayor if checking into a location more than anyone else.
The other piece is I deleted my account when my mobile device was a BlackBerry. I since upgraded to an Android-powered HTC and the user experience is friendlier for my eyes and fingers. Will the difference in applications and the progression of 14 months make a difference?
Here’s to exploring new media and finding answers.
I used to be a Foursquare user before deleting my account.
I’m back.
About Ari Herzog
That’s so funny Ari! I wrote a similar blog post on why I deleted FourSquare from my iPhone some time ago, but I have recently re-installed and have been an active user recently as well. I deleted it for a different reason than you, which is lack of ROI for time invested, but so far I’m actually having a little bit of fun with it. And, as you say, it definitely helps to be a user when advising other businesses on whether or not and/or how they can utilize it too (not to mention that it helps the Empire Avenue stock price, too
But, on a serious note, there is and will always be a “fun” aspect to social, so why not?
Had you merely removed the phone application — or also deleted your profile? And how have your opinions changed relative to time invested having fun?
I just deleted the app, not my account.
My opinions have changed probably because the service, and the people who use it, have matured. I now know that there are some that are easier to engage with on Foursquare, similar to how some are Twitter-people, Facebook-people, LinkedIn-people, and even Empire Avenue-people!
There’s a large palette of things you can share at any given time, viz:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/111589338887233889734/albums/5655399775000805521
but *where one is now* is of little benign use to most of your audience (as opposed to what you are thinking/reading/planning now…)
That’s always been true, Jon. Your fellow book club members don’t care that you finished reading the book but care a lot what you thought about it.
Great palette; had you created it?
I think I’ve found a middle ground with Foursquare. I don’t use it as often as I used to, but I do check in when I’m out at places that might have deals for the sake of saving some $$. I also check in at “expected” places, like work (though never home), and check in at airports (and share to FB and Twitter) as an easy way to remind people that I’ll be out/in town. I do live with others, so I’m not as concerned about the “oh! Katie’s not home, let’s rob her!” aspect of things, and I’m very selective about who I friend on Foursquare… my rule is that if I don’t mind you randomly showing up where I check in, I’ll friend you. If I do… sorry.
I’ve changed my use of Foursquare as time has gone on, and I’m pretty happy with the balance of how I’m using it right now. Welcome back!
I go back and forth on my use of Foursquare. Right now, I’m silent. In another month or so, I’ll probably change it. I get bored with stuff easily, and when I get un-bored with Foursquare, I’ll be back.
What’s boring about it to you today, Juli?
The fact that there’s not much point to it. There’s not that many good specials in my area to unlock, so I’m mostly checking in to check in. Sometimes I’m in the mood to be competitive in the leader board, and sometimes I’m not. Guess I’m just feeling non-competitive at the moment.
Could the lack of business specials (that is, incentives and rewards given to users checking in) inspire you to help said businesses understand how to better promote themselves on it?
Good point, and yes, I have helped some businesses with creating specials. In some cases, I’ve told them theirs would be the only special in the area, giving them visibility way ahead of their competition.
You share that you’re at airports to tell people you’re away. Who are you sharing this with? Your Foursquare friends (and therefore anyone who also checks in there)?
Do you check into locations immediately upon entering/sitting, or when you leave those locations?
I keep my Foursquare friends pretty tight, so they can see. I also share with FB depending on where I’m traveling (ex: to see my family, I check in at the airport they’re near), or if I’m speaking somewhere I might share with Twitter to say “excited to speak!”.
Again, it’s not an “always” things for me, and it’s also not something that I (generally) let the entire world see. Honestly, if I lived alone I doubt that I’d check in announcing my travels much (if at all).
Also – I usually check in when arriving at a location if it’s for a cool event (ex: something for work, a small show, a place I’ve been looking to for awhile), or when leaving if I want to say I’ve been there but don’t want the chance of someone interrupting the moment (business dinner, night out with close friends, etc).
I’d say that I check in mostly to work, and to places I’m at with groups… I’m not a “check in at Starbucks, when in the drug store or at the gym” person these days… kind of 40/60 usage on when I do v. don’t use it.
Ditto. Stopped using for months … back on and more so now that I’ve shedded the BlackBerry and its awful Foursquare for the cooler, more usable iPhone version.
You agree with me that the device interface matters. That’s cool. Unlike Katie who commented above, do you differentiate what sort of places you check into and share?
Yes, I do. I’ll make it private or I’ll skip it altogether. I also avoid patterns.
Ari – great blog. Really highlights the ambivalence even heavy users have over some of these tools. I’ve decided much like you that my 4SQ friends are generally going to be people I know or who I might actually bump into around town. Thus I have over 50 friend requests that I just haven’t gotten around declining…and yes, almost all of them are Twitter users as well.
And BTW: I DO sometimes let my checkin’s be my posts. You’d be surprised the fun conversations I’ve had on Twitter because of that!
4SQ on my friend – but I won’t take it personally if we aren’t 4SQ friends!
How do you determine which Foursquare checkins you want shared on your Twitter or Facebook walls? Do certain criteria need to be met?
Hi Ari – I generally share 4SQ posts when I think it will engender conversation or be interesting to my audience. I talk about food quite a bit on my social sites (though not as much as I’d like) so I think certain checkins are relevant to my stream. It might be a new restaurant in town, a favorite restaurant or a city I am traveling to or from. For example, I never check into Costco publicly, I might check in, but I don’t tweet it or Facebook it. I mean, who cares? But when I was in Napa, I did check into the wineries publicly. I also try to consider whether I am inundating my audience with checkins, in other words, I try to be courteous.
When I travel, if I think I might be able to connect with people in that location, I’ll scan to see if I have any connections in that place and then send them a shout-out separate from 4SQ, I might connect with them on 4SQ to increase our chances of connecting.
All this, like your policy is subject to change. But for me its working.
In the last several months, I have increased my use of @Foursquare. So who cares? Well, I do and some business’ I like do.
First, I find that I can keep connected with people I want to meet (aka my Twitter friends) but have yet to meet IRL. The funny thing is its happened a couple of time where I check in somewhere and see that someone I converse with on Twitter is there as well and voila — it prompts an opportunity for meeting IRL. So what may otherwise have been a missed opportunity turns into a gained contact. Funny thing is, I may have run into them anyway, but two things make the knowledge of presence that @Foursquare offers significant here. 1) The knowledge that a contact is in the building I am in greatly adds to the likelihood I will seek them out vice a chance running into and 2) They can see I am there as well. So do people really are where I check into? Yes. At least the people I am friends with on @Foursqaure. Even the ones that I am friends with in IRL. For example, recently a very good friend who lives in Germany had to come to DC on business for a couple of days. He didn’t think I would be in town as I travel a lot. So when I saw him check in on @Foursquare in the hotel next to the Pentagon, I pinged him on FB and was able to meet up for dinner.
Second, I think Ari you are spot on here with something: “Despite the small percentage of internet users who are using location-based services on their smartphones and mobile devices based on that Forrester survey, there is no doubt that companies are paying attention and offering coupons to active patrons.” I check in religiously now when I go to places. Partly to see how I can advice govt agencies on how to use SM, but mostly because I want to see if anyone I know is there OR if they have a special. Some examples: In San Antonio I saved the $10 on the cover charge because of Howl at the Moon’s first 50 check ins get in free offer, every 6th check in free coffee at Dunkin Donuts (better than carrying around that damn card), every 9th Car Was free at my car wash place, free chips and salsa at Chilli’s, and so on.
So Ari, now what? Why aren’t we frinds on @Foursqaure ? I think the future of location-based services is in its infancy, but something will come along and it will take off, we are just the early adopters here. Imagine walking into a retail zone in 5 years and your phone automatically checks you in and store ads in windows change as you come by with specials for you or friends pop up and say hello. Of course, there’s a dark side to all this, no doubt some will exploit this as they have everything else. It’s just easier now.
Well, gotta go check in @Pentagon.
Now that Foursquare is going the deals route I think more people are at least curious enough to check it out. As social media becomes more integrated into everyday life, I think people will become less concerned with privacy. Maybe location-based check-ins are the only bit of privacy people want to keep to themselves. It really comes down to what audience Foursquare wants to attract. It was the urban crowd who played with their tight-knit group of friends, and now it’s becoming more broad. I think the key will be segmenting audiences.
Love your sense of humor in this post!
Welcome back to 4square! This is indeed a fun way to boost business!