Forsaking FourSquare

Before FourSquare, there was Dodgeball.

Dodgeball was started by a couple of guys, and it got purchased by Google in 2005, with the thought that location-based social networking was gonna be a big hit.



Unfortunately (on the surface) for the Dodgeball guys, Google did nothing with it, and discontinued Dodgeball in early 2009.

Of course, appearances can be deceiving. Not only did the Dodgeball guys get some money up-front, being cut loose by Google let them start FourSquare.

FourSquare, for those of you who aren't technically savvy (and/or live in rural parts of the country), uses an application on your phone to see where you are, physically, and lets you "check in" to specific locations. The thought is that if you have checked in more than others, you become the "Mayor" of that location, and some places give you discounts and such if you're the mayor... although that is a pretty uncommon occurrence. You also get "badges" for certain activities or combinations of checkins, and you get "points", too... which are seemingly useless.

I've been on FourSquare for over a year now. I've checked it relatively religiously when I've gone out over that time, and I'm done with it. I just uninstalled it from my phone and don't plan on using it in the future.

Why? Not because I'm angry with FourSquare. Not because I feel that my privacy has been betrayed, or I feel the service's performance is bad.

I just don't get anything out of it except frustration. As a single guy who owns >3 cats, I've got enough frustration in my life already, so getting rid of FourSquare simplifies my life.

What value did I extract from FourSquare? Or what value would I like to have? Social media can add value to our lives in four major ways, I believe:

1. Exhibitionism. Social media is often about showing off. Telling others what you think or how you look or where you are or who you know. If it seems narcissistic: that's because it is. But we can all take solace in the fact that only people who care about us (at least to the point of clicking on a button or two to follow us) see it.
2. Voyeurism. There's also the fact that social media is about being nosey. Seeing what your friend (Facebook or otherwise) is up to. What they're reading or watching or doing. Who they're doing. What their friends look like and where they went to school. If it seems creepy: that's because it is. But we can all take solace in the fact that only people who want us to see things about them put things up for us to see.
3. Accomplishment. Making things into a game makes them more fun. Being able to count friend totals adds a quantitative thrill (whether it's seeing how many friends one can accrue or how tight one can keep the friends group) and I believe our monkey brains are programmed to enjoy victory, whether it's lighting a fire or finishing a race or hitting level 41 on World of Warcraft. We get motivated over very silly things (see: Farmville) but that motivation is no less real for being silly.
4. Other utility. I hate to make this a grab-bag, but... it's a grab bag for things that ACTUALLY make your life better. IRL. Knowing the best-reviewed restaurant in your area. Seeing where your friends are hanging out tonight. Getting directions to a concert featuring music you will probably like. All of these things are possible through different services, and there's less sticky residue than is associated with the other three areas.

Looking at FourSquare, for me, in this prism...

1. Exhibitionism. Sure, I was advertising where I was and where I'd been, but I had no illusions that anyone was really paying attention, and I have a great outlet on Facebook and this blog to let it all hang out. (Not literally.)
2. Voyeurism. I rarely looked to see where others were, and when I saw that strangers were sharing a spot with me, it didn't help me. "Hey, baby, did you just check in on FourSquare?" is, shockingly enough, not a line that impresses women. Especially when they hadn't just checked in on FourSquare. Oops!
3. Accomplishment. At the high point of my FourSquare presence, I was mayor of about eight places, from my employer to my grocery store to a hotel in Mexico to a half-dozen restaurants and bars. I will admit it was kind of fun, even if I had no illusions about (a) others not being WAY more active than I was, or (b) it mattering at all to anyone and/or real life. Over time, though, I was supplanted by people almost everywhere. And it would aggravate me. Even though I knew it didn't matter, it would bug me. When I found myself a dozen check-ins behind at a location I had been mayor of a fortnight earlier, I knew that people were either cheating or were just going to those places much more often than I was. Either way, I was feeling frustration and perhaps a hint of failure. Embarrassing but true.
4. Other utility. I found no real-world value from FourSquare. The "tips" that people can leave are useless. I didn't track my friends through FourSquare. I don't care about trending data with people I don't know. There was, as far as I can tell, not additional utility.

It all came down, in the end, to FourSquare being a game. When games get boring and frustrating, I quit and move onto something else. 

So FourSquare is gone. I'm not keen on using Facebook places (a similar service, except that you can allow friends to check you in, too) or more robust trending/amalgamation services like TheHotList... because I see the same problems that I've had with FourSquare and no real additional utility.

I'll stick to Facebook and this blog and wait for something better to come along.

I wonder how long it will take before someone ousts me as the mayor of Qdoba...