what IS foursquare?

I heard some people in class mention that they are unfamiliar with foursquare. So what is it? foursquare is essentially a social networking application for your cell phone. While the first step - downloading from foursquare.com and using the app to search for businesses/restaurants/retail outlets in your area - is hardly different than the current web browser and map application on your phone now, what distinguishes foursquare is its Twitter-for-your-phone-like ability to let you tell others where you are by asking you to "check in" when you get to a location. Even if you weren't asking to be found, you'll want to do this anyway - checking in often provides the foursquare user with special deals and promotions. Plus, the person who checks in at a certain location the most is dubbed the "mayor" of that site, and that holds social power in the foursquare universe. Given that, as of a month ago, foursquare boasted around 600,000 users (100,000 of those joining within just 10 days), your mayor-dom comes with serious clout in the social network-sphere.

Check out this video from the foursquare team on how to get started.

Or, if you're looking to see foursquare in action, check out this clip from a recent episode of Gossip Girl, in which Nate uses the network to locate a drugged-and-in-danger Jenny (the clip cuts off but, trust me, he saves her)

While the tv show is a dramatization, it brings up the often-debated issue of social networking eroding our privacy. Sure, telling everyone when and where you've gone to get a smoothie seems excessive but you never know when you're going to need someone to find you, fast. You wouldn't dream of going out without your cell phone and 10-15 years ago, few believed that mobile phones were 100% necessary. Given that foursquare's growth of 100,000 users in 10 days demonstrates immense popularity, it can be speculated that the application - like its tech predecessors - may also have staying power. Ten years from now, we might find ourselves making plans entirely via foursquare, with the phone call considered an archaic form of communication.