In terms of surging social networking sites, Foursquare is at the lead of the pack. Let’s face it: as users of social media, we all know at least one person that uses Foursquare (perhaps way too much). You’ve probably seen a Foursquare check-in update in your Twitter stream or Facebook feed.
And if you’ve seen a Foursquare checkin, you’ve probably checked out Foursquare on your own to see what all the fuss is about. And you’ve probably set up an account. And you’ve probably checked in and shared the updates on your network.
Yes, Foursquare is a ridiculously popular social networking site that will only continue to grow as more and more users are exposed to check-ins.
What makes Foursquare so addictive? The platform implements a game into the checkin process. Check in enough at a given location, and you become the mayor of that given place. And being the mayor of certain places actually does have some value…depending on the location, of course.
However, it is the mayorship feature of Foursquare that will eventually cause some problems.
People will check in at places they are not actually located.
Since most users consider Foursquare to be a game, people will begin to check in at locations where they are not currently “at”. It is highly likely that the more users Foursquare adds on to their service, the more often this will happen.
Most Foursquare users do value their mayorships, so getting the dreaded email saying that the mayorship has gone to someone else can really light a fire under any given user. The whole integrity of the Foursquare platform goes up in the air when people check in at places where they are not at, and the service would lose value.
Safety at home could become a serious issue in the future.
Geo-location websites as a whole divulge extremely personal information, and yes, current location is personal.
A new website emerged this week called Please Rob Me, which brings together current check-ins, essentially showing when Foursquare users are away from their homes. The controversial web site gathered a great deal of media attention for its’ blatant website name—in fact, most people that I know don’t use geo-location sites bring up the potential for robbery.
While the website is more of a joke rather than an actual site for robbers, it should act as a wake up call for Foursquare users. All users who input current location data into Foursquare should understand the risks involved when doing so.
Stalking could become more prevalent with consistent check-ins.
Foursquare awards you with a mayorship for checking in so many times to a given location; however, this could cause problems for even the most normal person. If a stalker or creepy individual sees that you check in every day to Starbucks around 2PM, guess where that person will be if he ever wants to see you.
Sure, the whole idea about it is a bit far-fetched for most people—however, realize the risk when you develop check-in patterns on Foursquare. Check in enough times to a few locations, and a stalker could potentially determine your route. For your safety, avoid checking in at all times, even if it means you put your mayorships in jeopardy. No mayorship is worth gambling your personal safety.
Do you feel that safety is a concern on Foursquare or any other geo-location website? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
