Secrets of the City

The benefits are *not* mostly virtual: the benefit to using the service is that you might be out and about and you’ll actually connect in person with your friends you may not have been expecting to run into. It’s, as I joke, putting the “social” back into social networking.

Example: I’m leaving Nye’s, look at Foursquare and it tells me I have a friend at the Bulldog and another at Whitey’s — I can text them and ask if they want a drink. That’s what the real benefit of Foursquare is to me.

That’s interesting. My evenings are rarely free like that, with large blocks of the evening open for me to head from one bar to another based on where somebody else is, so any benefit to Foursquare for me would be virtual.

It has promise, and unlike many social networks 4[] has a path to monetization available to it.

It’s kind of like geo-caching, isn’t it? A scavenger hunt, of sorts? Because I know when I’m out and about on the town, I’m usually already with the person/people I intend to be with; I’m not looking for some kind of last-minute meet-up with a corral of virtual pals.

What’s to prevent someone from just showing up, unexpectedly and uninvited, if they know your whereabouts?

Maybe I should RTFA?

it reminds me of when I was in highschool and I had a beeper. People would page me and be like “watcha up to?”
me: nothing just kikin it
them: yeah me too
me: you wanna come hang?
them: sure.

Rinse, repeat.

Sometimes you end up with a ton of people barefoot in the park, running down a path with a blown out flip flop and a cop shining his headlights on you. other times you just sit around and watch tv and eat a pizza.

Nowadays people don’t have beepers, they got foursquare, facebook and twitter.

@ryanol: But what they lack is privacy? Quiet moments of solitude?

Privacy is overrated.

You made a typo. It’s supposed to be spelled “Forsquares”

1. Well, no, it’s techically not like geocaching.

2. I call dibs on the term “social geocaching”!

Another thing that is great is the tips you get from others. I wish more people used this. I’ve seen good tips from @s4xton and a few others, but so many people are mayors of places and they don’t mention one good thing about the place. I want to know what is great so I have a good experience.

As the mayor of the Brookdale Library, I encourage you to try the books. A lot of people come for the people watching and the free wifi but the books really can’t be missed!

I stopped using foursquare because I’d often forget to check-in and I didn’t feel like always entering all the pioneering places I always end up. Also, I don’t really approve of Twitter being used for constructive purposes.

I just became the mayor of your mom’s crotch on @foursquare http://bit.ly/lvaQ1

8:00 PM Aug 3rd from web

LOL

well, since this seems to reqauire a cell phone, I’ll just say: phhbt.

One of the cool things about it is that it’s multi-faceted. Some people like the tips, some people like the badges, some people like finding their friends, some people are points whores.

I sorta ran into Ed Kohler in Boston through foursquare. Fereal.

This is what I thought twitter was for when it first started. Now it seems like all the early adopters of twitter are all up on foursquare. I don’t have qualms with it, but it’s definitely an iphone/blackberry/fancy phone thing, and since I don’t have one of those, I can’t play.

To be honest, all the “benefits” I got from foursquare were the same ones I’d been getting before my using Twitter. If I Tweet that I’m somewhere, people in the area who might like to see me will see that and get in contact or vice versa.

Yeah, I guess there’s some value in the tips, just not remotely enough for me to keep messin’ with Foursquare while I’m already on Twitter.

It’s also a “I have a ton of free time and/or disposable income” type thing.

Well, it also kind of discourages people from entering new/interesting places because, at least those NOT on an iPhone, you have to enter the name of the location and then get the address via Gmaps or a different site and then go back and enter that into the site. I’m not going to sit around and do that every time I go somewhere new.

Nah. I’ll make my own badge avatars for Twitter (just not f’ing Mad Men) and just tell you myself where I’m at. I’d be interested in seeing the bberry app just because but it’s not going to make me pick it up again.

Remember when max hated Twitter? See you in a year!

This is fine except I fucking hate the Twitter updates.

I never hated Twitter. I was one of the Twin Cities’ earliest adopters. I did hate that some people would livetweet a magazine that they were reading, in entirety.

Moby Dick, or The Whale, as Tweet: Call me Is

(more to come)

Oh! I once twittered Moby-Dick. In just one tweet!

Here it is:

Whale and Ahab antagonize each other, one wins, but in winning, loses something. The end.

This thread got me thinking when did I get on board with twitter.

I found myfirsttweet and put in my username

2006-12-06

I think that puts me in the early adopter category?

My evenings are rarely free like that, with large blocks of the evening open for me to head from one bar to another based on where somebody else is, so any benefit to Foursquare for me would be virtual.

My evenings are certainly not free like that either. It’s not about planning your night on a whim based on what your telephone says, it’s about making connections if your friends happen to be nearby — or in the exact same place you are. Which honestly, happens rather frequently in this small town.

But you can only make those connections if you have a bunch of friends on foursquare. If I joined, I would have to hang out with internet geeks all the time! Gross! (kidding)

It’s funny though how much it reminds me of twitter back in the day. To me twitter seemed like something you signed up for if your friends were on it so you could know where everyone is all the time, and since I didn’t have any friends on twitter, I didn’t bother.

s4xton I love how you call the twin cities “this small town”

I see a dichotomy of people who are trying to control their privacy and what they share with who and folks who share everything. I think its interesting to investigate.

Just look at Aaron’s site, phone number right in the SERP you don’t even have to click thru.

BTW I loved twitter when it was early and you could watch the entire stream cascade by.

and I think that 4[] is what yelp should have evolved into.

Yeah, I think foursquare has an interesting dynamic of being sort of a “where I went today” journal. I realize for the social aspect it’s supposed to be more immediate (I am here RIGHT NOW), but it’s a good record of where everyone has been and spends their time. It’s just interesting that instead of keeping this log in our heads, or maybe on some paper journal we’re more apt to put it out there for everyone to see.

I loved twitter when it was early and you could watch the entire stream cascade by.

“Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.” ~ Yogi Berra

It’s marketing gold….thats what it is?

Consumer behavior- check
location based marketing – check
social word of mouth – check
early adopters/influencers – check

all it lacks to be the perfect platform is an action based tracking mechanism.

all it lacks to be the perfect platform is an action based tracking mechanism.

One already exists. It’s called a “cash register.”

self reporting is a joke, how do you audit it, what percentage of the revenue came from 4[] users.

Why do you think google is a 450 dollar stock, cause they have an advertising platform that provides advertisers with hard numbers, measurable ROI.

I would see the business model operating something like: I let you offer up specials to 4[] users and you give me nth percentage of your revenue derived directly from users. But for this to work users would need a 4[] credit card or some nearfield communications device. A scanner and a special QRCode could work I guess.

People tend to bar hop, why not gently nudge them in a certain direction with location based specials.

If I am at figlios and thinking about switching up to the independent, a free coupon for an app at chino might entice me to bring my party over there instead. Think of it as bar poaching. The users benefits = free app. The advertisers benefits = bar tab
The platform(4[]) gets a cut of bar tab.

/ this is all speculation of how i would try an monetize 4[], but since @Dens is presumably rich from the dodgeball deal perhaps the entire thing is altruistic.

I actually have never heard of foursquare.. wow do i feel out of the loop.

here are directions for staying in the loop:

Join twitter
follow S4xton
/done

jk but srsly

Ha. Why s4xton?

he’s big time enough to call the twin cities “this small town”

There are fewer than 100 people who run these two cities; and they talk to each other every day on the telephone.

None of us are among them.

thats not true Rat sometimes they pull their yachts up to maynards and have lunch (speaking directly).

Heh. how does one become big time enough to call the TC “this small town” i wonder? This will be my new goal.

“how does one become big time enough to call the TC “this small town” i ”

Eat a lotta pizza.

Pretty sure that would just make me big, not big time..

self reporting is a joke, how do you audit it, what percentage of the revenue came from 4[] users.

That is the bane to click-thru-based sales, too, and affiliate-based sales.

How does someone get credit for a sale unless that sale is made right then-and-there with a traceable ID?

Example: Someone spots a book about sushi on my recipe site. It has a referral link to Barnes & Noble with my affiliate ID. If they choose to buy the book via B&N, with my affiliate ID intact, I get to share (abysmally) in the profit. If, however, they decide to purchase the book the next day and access B&N directly, or choose to buy the book from some other vendor, I don’t get any credit at all — even though they might not have found the book without the assistance of my site link.

There are fewer than 100 people who run these two cities; and they talk to each other every day on the telephone.

A-ha! That would make the phone company the most powerful of all!

I didn’t mean it as condescending.

Like food with a pizza/local flare – hes got a site for that, hell he’s got two.

Are you interested in emerging technology – he pretty much covers that beat with twitter.

Are you a left leaning democrat looking for news – yep you’ll find him on that beat at another site.

Do you watch local news – chances are at some point he’ll pop up their too thanks to JDerusha and his good question segments.

How about reading the pioneer press- he might show up in a pull quote over there as well in one of @jojoeda articles.

In the words of the beastie boys (slightly altered): “He’s crafty, he gets around”

Eat pizza with Rex Sorgatz in Manhattan and perhaps you, too, can call MSP a small town.

@nood I know exactly when someone clicks, what keyword was triggered and what my ROI was.

The problems you highlight are only true for affiliates. When you sell direct you don’t have those worries. Of course your inventory expense is higher and your risk is increased.

Of course your profit is less you aren’t taking the risk of warehousing and your essentially just doing paperwork, in reality your not even doing that.

Early Adapter, likes pizza, flying planes & Al Franken seeking same. hit me up @s4xton on 4[]

I’m jealous of Aaron, actually. I don’t think I have nearly as well developed / categorizable a persona, webby or otherwise.

@ryanol: Ah, I see. Damn looks like i have a lot of work ahead of me. I guess it would be tho, so not just anyone is able to call the TC “this small town”

g rote: “don’t sell yourself short…your a tremdous slouch”

I measure myself against other golfers not by handicap, but by height.

I knew I could throw that out and you’d catch it.

@ryanol: Yes, I was speaking directly of the affiliate experience but also of the pay-per-click advertising model which isn’t necessarily thorough, either. Having your own online storefront is a whole ‘nuther matter.

For all the talk a decade ago of the Web not needing to follow the “old rules” of advertising, it’s ironic that the big thing (again) in Internet marketing nowadays is branding and brand awareness. Which is most of what TV, radio and newspapers have been offering advertisers for decades: A platform upon which to build brands.

GM would love it if you bought a GM car today based on something you saw today on TV. But, hey, they’re cool, too, if you aren’t buying today but that you remember them three months from now when you are in the market for a new car. Either way, the TV station gets paid for being the platform to awareness.

@ryanol: My father never liked you.

Reading #mnspeak. I just became the Mayor of MNspeak on foursquare.

@mjm: Yes we have a pool, a pool and a pond. The pond might be better for you.

back to 4[]

this page pretty much sums it up.

http://playfoursquare.com/businesses/

Great to see an social site cfind a path to monetization that actually rewards everybody involved.

And ryanol, there was a time that just about everyone who commented on MNSpeak would end up in one of my WCCO stories. I should have a day where we only interview MNSpeakers. Of course, that would require people to step away from their computers. So nevermind.

And put on pants…

Jason I love that you start your sentence with “their was a time”…like mnspeak was a creaky old saloon that vagabonds would wander into and spin yarns.

That would be the Terminal Bar again.