Foursquare
Foursquare is a location-based social network, which operates primarily through software for mobile phones and smartphones.
The service here uses the GPS capability of the device to determine the current location of the user. Users can then "check in" at the locations, either via the website of Foursquare, by SMS, or with device- specific programs (apps), which among other things for Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Palm, PlayStation Vita, Symbian, webOS, bada and Windows Phone are available.
History
Foursquare was founded by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai 2009. Crowley had previously founded the similar project Dodgeball as part of his studies at New York University. This was bought in 2005 by Google, Inc., and is set in 2009 and replaced by Google Latitude. The interaction with users was based purely in Dodgeball SMS while Foursquare is internet based primarily used by special apps.
Competitors Facebook Places also led to the possibility to check in at locations, and thus offers an alternative to Foursquare, but without the incentive by badge and " Bürgermeistertum ".
Functions
Foursquare is a web and mobile app that allows registered users to connect with friends and make public their current location. For each check-in points are awarded, and the user can publish their current location on Twitter and Facebook.
Users can also create a personal " To- Do" list or replace public tips about sites with other users, which for example is used to recommendation of restaurants. Keeps a user the most check- ins at one location, so he becomes the Mayor ( Mayor ) of the site.
Occasionally, the user receives badges ( " badges " ) for check-ins. The requirements to obtain these badges are different depending on the badge, so there are, for example badge for more frequent visits a site, regular visits or unique visits at special locations.
For some time, Foursquare also offers the possibility of places ( indirectly ) to evaluate. In this case, any business or other place of interest receives a so-called score ( value) between 1 and 10, which signals the popularity on the basis of consents and check-ins. The exact algorithm for calculating Foursquare makes no indication, however, experts assess the function as a direct attack on Qype or Yelp.
Criticism
Like many other apps also collects Foursquare personal information without informing the user about it. This is particularly problematic in the Android operating system; there must be the program to use it at all, without discrimination, the right to read the address data on the smartphone from the app and has it sent to the Foursquare servers.