Are you TOO Square for Foursquare?

So the big controversy right now is SHOULD you use Foursquare or not? Is it stalker friendly? Will it cause drama in your love life? Is it just another way to bore people with senseless tweets about where you have been?

Well honestly, yes...lol

But then again, not really. Anyone can use Foursquare, and if  used properly, it's a hoot! Just like any other social network, it needs to be implemented with discretion. As for the stalkers and personal life drama potential, AGAIN, you will want to be wise about WHO you add to your following and be smart about WHAT you decide to tweet publicly about. My personal rule of thumb is that if I am WITH a big group of people, I could really care less WHO sees it, but if I am on my own, I usually check-in as I am leaving anyways.
As for the concern of boring followers with your location tweets...SURE, you may run the risk that some people will unfollow you, or roll their eyes at your tweets, or talk smack behind your back, but you know what? They already do anyways, so who REALLY cares? It's a social network...have FUN and be savvy.
We are ALL involved in social media in one way or another, we NEED to stay up to date on what is "in" and where people are spending their time. It's time to break the mold and say NO, I am NOT too square to be on Foursquare! ;)

So, what IS foursquare?
A church? A whimsical elementary recess game that leaves you feeling rejected and lame?

LOL, actually, foursquare is a cross between a friend-finder, a geo-tagging social city-guide, and a game that rewards you for doing interesting things. The site aims to not only help you keep up with the places your friends go, but to also encourage you to discover new places and challenge you to explore your neighborhood in new ways.

*Rumor has it that businesses will be partnering up with the site soon to offer savings and incentives to "Star" users and location evangelists. #JuicyGossip ;)

   
How do I get it on my phone?   

There are apps available for the iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Palm Pre.  If you don't have one of these phones, you can always use the mobile website or if you prefer to checkin via SMS you can send a text to 50500 (like this:  @ Ace Bar ! Playing skeeball).  For now SMS checkins are only available in the US.

   
Where is foursquare available?

You can use foursquare anywhere in the world!  Check-in at the Statue of Liberty in NYC, the Golden Gate bridge in SF, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpu, or the Arch de Triumph in Paris!  Back in the day, you were limited to select cities, but now you can check-in anywhere you please!
(Heck, I recently checked in and became the mayor of @MayhemStudios LAP! LOL)

   
What is a check-in?   

When you tell foursquare where you are, that's called "checking-in". You can check-in from parks, bars, museums, restaurants...really anywhere.  When you check-in foursquare lets your friends know where they can find you and award you points and badges based on your adventurousness.
Check-in *TIP* - If you decide to check into your home, make up a fictitious name for your destination, and either leave the streets out of the venue or make up make believe streets. You'll want to keep SOME locations private! You can also check in "Off The Grid" and still get points, but I personally recommend keeping some level of privacy when it comes to your home.
(I made the mistake of NOT realizing my home was marked on a tweet before...YIKES - Delete, Delete, Delete)

   
How does foursquare know where I am?

The foursquare apps for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Palm use GPS to show a list of nearby places. To check-in, just choose the name of the place you're at from this list of nearby places. If they don't have the place you're looking for you can always add it to your listings yourself. Don't worry, foursquare doesn't know where you are unless you check-in to tell them your location. (Meaning it's not BIG BROTHER or anything like that)

What is "The Mayor" all about?

If you've been to a place more than anyone else we'll crown you the "The Mayor" of that place. I've actually seen lots of bars and cafes starting to offer "Mayor Specials" -a free coffee or appetizer or maybe a special discount to the mayors of their venues.  Watch out though - once someone else comes along who has checked-in more times that you, they can steal the "Mayor" title back from you.
*NOTE* Sometimes promotions are not valid and you may be refused. This actually happened to a group of us that chose a location based on a foursquare coupon that was advertised, and we were totally shut down, lol.   

(PS - if you want to become mayor, you actually NEED to have uploaded a profile photo)

   
So what are badges?   

Badges are little rewards you earn for doing checking-into interesting places.  For example, staying out late on a school night or frequenting too many karaoke bars.  They are constantly adding new badges and are open to hearing your suggestions. (I had suggested a #Douchebag badge and shortly thereafter one magically appeared...hmmmm, qwinky dink?)

 
A lot of the badges are tied to venue "tags".  People use tags to describe the places on foursquare (e.g. jukebox, pool table, fireplace, pizza, etc)  Without giving away too much, here's a few suggested tags you can add to your favorite places to help unlock badges :  airport, college, douchebag, food truck, frat, gallery, gym, karaoke, movie theater, photobooth, pizza, playground, socialite, sorority, tourist, CES, overshare, crunk, etc.)

   
How do I earn points?   

Most foursquare check-ins will earn you points.  You can earn points for your first check-in at a certain place or by adding a new place to our listings.   We display a list of the users who have racked up the most points on the "leaderboard".  The idea is that the more you experience, the more places you visit, etc. the higher your score for that week.  The leaderboard resets every Sunday at midnight.
(*TIP* If you want to kick your friends booties in points, wait to check-in your end of day Sunday trips until after the board resets on Sunday evening at midnight, hahaha *Thx @Hoda007 for that tip* :P)

Here's how points are currently awarded:  (and yes, they've been know to tweak this from time to time)   

    *         +5 points for your first time checking-in at a venue

    *         +5 points for adding a new venue

    *         +1 point for per check-in, increasing by +1 with each check-in
               (e.g. your 1st check-in of the day is +1, 2nd check-in of the day +2 points, etc)

           
 
What can I do with these points? (Nothing really...just bragging rites, lol!) :P

Foursquare is still experimenting with what points could translate into. In December 2009, they did a charity drive where each point earned was donated to charity.  If you're interested in working with them on experimenting how points can turn into real-world rewards, contact foursquare directly at http://getsatisfaction.com/foursquare/  !

   
What are "Tips" and "To-Dos"? (Ways to unlock badges FASTER...w00t!)

Foursquare is just as much about sharing experience as it as about connecting with friends and discovering new places.  Every foursquare user has the ability to create both "Tips" and "To-Dos" for places.  Tips are generally things you'd recommend to other ("Go to PDT and try the bacon-infused Old Fashioned") while To-Dos are more "notes to self" ("Remember to come back and try the pesto noodles").  Whenever you check-in to a location, foursquare tries to offer a pop-up a tip that one of your friends has left nearby (you'll be surprised how often these tips help you choose what to order at a bar or restaurant!).  And, of course, you can take these Tips and To-Do's with you on your phone so wherever you happen to be, you'll always have a recommendation of something interesting to do nearby.
   
   
What does "off the grid" mean?
(It means check-in on the low down so your nosy boyfriend/girlfriend doesn't know WHERE you are and you can still get POINTS!!! Hahaha)

An "off the grid" check-in, is a check-in where you hide your location.  Sometimes you'll want to check-in without letting your friends know where they can find you.  Why?  You could be on a date, out to dinner with friends, or someplace you don't want people to know about... all while still wanting to check-in to collect points and earn badges.  "Off the grid" check-ins allow you to still use foursquare without broadcasting your location to everyone.

Information Sources:
Foursquare Facts: http://foursquare.com
Photo:
   
Stacey Soleil
Social Media & Branding Specialist
Educator / Speaker / Podcast Host
www.ribeeziemedia.com
Twitter: @staceysoleil

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