Think 50% friend-finder, 30% social city guide, 20% nightlife game. This is one of the slogans that location-based social network Foursquare when it first launched on the Web. Now, Foursquare has became a full-fledged social application that allows you to update your current status as well as finding out what your friends are doing nearby through variety of smartphone applications such as iPhone, Blackberry, Palm and even the Android app.
To encourage users to connect to their friends based on location, Foursquare awards points and unlocked badges. For instance, a user can unlock the “Newbie” badge for being the first time to check in by using Foursquare, and after you checking in ten (10) different venues, you’ll earn yourself a “Adventurer” badge. Want more? Try to check in the same place three times in a week, you’re a “Local,” and if you make thirty (30) checkins in a month, then you’re a “Super User.” In addition, you can track your achievements in your own dashboard in order to find out the number of your Nights Out” and any mayorship you entitled to by being the first to visit a new place.
At its core, Foursquare does the two most important things in location-based social network: it displays your personal lifestream, which essentially your location updates and helps you to find new ways to explore the city. Meanwhile, it also helps to connect to your friends in a better way via geolocation in a number of ways like send a “Shout” to your friends, add any tip to a city where you and your friends enjoy together and create a “to-do list” among the group of your buddies.
