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Location services are growing like a rocket.
Here are the 4 main ones: foursquare; Gowalla; Google latitude: FaceBook.
There are many, many others by the way.
The way it works, first, is, generally, it’s mobile.
So, you have a mobile phone and there is an app, try foursquare.
You go someplace. It can be a park, a restaurant, a beach, anything…
You go and you search and generally, you will find the place and you check in. That’s how it works.
Latitude works a little different. They broadcast your position. Of course you can change privacy.
You don’t have to broadcast your position.
Now, most social networks have location embedded so, when you post something on Twitter,
you will check if it can know your location.
Buzz is the same and if you want to share it you share it. You can turn it off.
Why would people do that?
Generally, it’s just because it’s fun.
We don’t really know if it’s going to reach mainstream yet. It’s like a game.
Foursquare made it a game. That you can even become the Mayor of a place.
Whit Scott, for example, is fighting to become and stay the Mayor of Seesmic HQ.
You can also have badges on foursquare for Jet Setter if you move around to a lot of places.
Other people do it for the history of where they have been.
I know a few people who use it as a reminder of where they should do expenses because
they have been traveling to all of those places.
There are lurkers, like in all social networks, who just want to see what’s happening.
They don’t really check-in much but, they read all the updates and check-ins from other people.
It can be very useful for events.
For example, a conference like CES, which is huge, 10’s of 1000’s of people.
If you read what’s happening on foursquare, you know where it’s cool.
You know where people are right now.
For example, if there is a cool party you don’t know about, you can tell because all of your friends are checking in there.
If you are Starbucks or if you are a restaurant it’s very important for you because
you should see who are the best fans. The Mayor is probably someone you want to treat very well.
I think location is going to be huge. Obviously, as much as FaceBook and others integrate,
it will be even bigger.
The way I do it is I accepted everyone on foursquare so, my foursquare feed is kind of weird because
I have 1000’s of people there but, you don’t have to be that way.
You could be selective.
You have to choose whether you want to be selective, only your friends or stream it to anyone.
That’s your call.