One of the things I've learned from this class is just how out of the loop I am, in terms of what's new (and not so new) in the online world. I hadn't ever heard of Groupon, Foursquare, or a bunch of other seemingly well known and popular services. And acrossair seemed like something out of The Matrix. Below is a basic guide to Foursquare for others like me.
The four major steps to understanding and using Foursquare:
Check-in: Once you've signed up for a free account, you can "check in" wherever you are, using the iPhone's GPS to locate your venue. With its mashup of services like Yelp, Twitter and Facebook, Foursquare allows you to peruse restaurant and bar reviews, get tips from regulars - and even shout out to your friends to come join the party. That's just the beginning, though; what makes Foursquare stand out is its function as a real-time, real-world competition. Which brings us to ...
Points: Every time you sign in to a venue - be it a club, pub or even your best friend's apartment - you're awarded a certain number of points based on how many times you've been there, your number of stops that night or how many nights in a row you've been out on the town. For now, all this gets you is bragging rights and a spot on the online leaderboard - but Foursquare's Web site hints that more is on the way.
Badges: Besides points, your travels can also earn you badges. Sign in to the same place three times in one week and you get the "Local" badge; sign in late on a weeknight and earn the "School Night" badge. There are already a ton of badges, both obvious and obscure, and if you have an idea for a new badge, you can submit it online.
Becoming mayor: Our favorite Foursquare feature. If you've signed in to a venue more times than anyone else, you become the "mayor" of that place. Your status not only makes you a mini-celebrity among Foursquare users - your profile pops up whenever someone signs in at that venue - but some savvy businesses have begun to advertise special discounts to their mayors. Still, you have to be vigilant; other users can swoop in and take your crown. And gloat about it.
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