ReadWriteWeb offers an anecdotal survey of some of the reasons people are using LBS “check in” services. Here are the major categories of reasons according to RWW:
- Serendipity and Connection (to find others)
- For the Win (mayor, leaderboard)
- As a Personal History (where have I been?)
Though anecdotal, these are all rational or semi-rational reasons. I find that ironic because the major reason people use and continue to use these services, and which the article doesn’t really discuss, is not rational at all. It’s because other people — specifically my friends or colleagues — are using them.
In other words there’s a subculture of “check-in” behavior that LBS users belong to. Insert 15,000 word sociology essay here.
The short version is: we’re social; we care about membership and the approval, admiration and envy of others. In the absence of others around me using these services I simply wouldn’t use them. They don’t perform such a valuable function for me as an individual that I would have a reason to use them independently (notwithstanding the personal history category).
At a certain point these services become valuable as communication tools or ways to get information (and deals) but the basic function here is social: “Hey look at me . . . I’m over here . . . I’m part of the club too.”
October 19th, 2010 at 7:40 am
I made a syncophant-ish comment on that RWW article about Foursquare and LBS that you referred to. However, several months later, I am all the more convinced that the Foursquare/Gowalla/Facebook places etc check-in services is about status-seeking behavior and garnering social influence. That can actually be relevant for some people as part of their jobs: anyone in fashion, talent-acquisition, music, restaurant, entertainment industry, and sometimes media too. I watched a video of former Digg CEO Kevin Rose discussing why he found Foursquare so valuable. However, he is so different than 99.999% of the population that the comparison was ludicrous. Here’s a litmus test: how many people are using Foursquare to document their time spent at Taco Bell and Arco and Family Dollar Store?
October 19th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
The key phrase in there is “some people.” Status is a motivator for many but by itself won’t push these services into the mainstream. However if I look left and look right and both of my friends are doing this then I will too.
Facebook is built on group behavior dynamics, plus there’s some utility there for people (communicating with friends/family)