The Anti-Social Media

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Foursquare is F#*&ed

by The Anti-Social Media on November 8, 2010 in Facebook, Facebook deals, Facebook places, Location Based Networks, foursquare

Facebook, the 500 million member gorilla the room, announced its deals feature for places last week. After I spent a shopping trip using and ~~loving~~ enjoying this feature, I predict Foursquare, Gowalla, and their like will not last too much longer.

When I went shopping this weekend, I remembered I heard something about a deal when you checked into the GAP on Facebook. Let me be clear: I hate Facebook, and I hate checking into places. But if I know checking in will save me a few bucks, I will totally go for it because it provides me value.

I loaded up Facebook, and suddenly I’ve got a list of stores in the mall, some with little golden tickets offering me deals when I check in. I load of the venues and I can see what the deal is before I check in. I planned the rest of my shopping trip around Facebook’s little golden tickets.

Then, when I used a coupon, Facebook posts on my wall that I got a deal. Now my friends can see that there are savings to be had, and then they’ll want them too. Pure. Fucking. Genius.

This is game, set and match. My massive list of Facebook friends just saw I saved 20% at Macy’s and H&M and are free to like and comment on that. Facebook Deals are moving to national brands quickly, something Foursquare has struggled with. Mom and Pop Stores on Foursquare or the like are probably already on Facebook, and it’s easy as hell to set up a deal. If you’ve got 500 Facebook fans, and only 40 Foursquare users, where are you going to go?

Any location based service that wants to stay alive needs to do something big, bold, and exciting. No more meaningless virtual badges. No more check-in deal guessing games. Provide real value to people. Otherwise, the foot of Mark Zuckerberg will crush every other service that tries.

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We All Hate Facebook Places Already

by The Anti-Social Media on August 20, 2010 in Facebook, Facebook places, Privacy

I don’t think I ran across a single blog yesterday that thought Facebook places was a great idea. We all know it was derived from Foursquare, Gowalla and their cousins. People detest “friends” being able to check you into places, and privacy groups are waging another war with Facebook.

I think enough has been said about how stupid of an idea this is from Facebook’s end. My major problem with Facebook places was when I tried to launch it, I got this:

Before I complain about a feature, I’m willing to at least try it. However, Facebook apparently released the version of the iPhone app that didn’t work (3.2), and I had to later install a new version (3.2.1) to get Places to function properly. Facebook, next time, launch the version of the app that actually works. Your users will thank you.

Regardless of that blunder, Places worries me. The logo, which my friend Maura pointed out, is a square with a four inside. FourSquare, anyone? There’s evil genius at work.

Thankfully, for every person that checks you in somewhere you can always send them this threat, so wonderfully articulated by my friend Laurie.