Foursquare: Why It May Be the Next Twitter | Hacker News Reader

Foursquare: Why It May Be the Next Twitter

mashable.com

I like Foursquare - it's fun. But I see problems. For one, I can't see how it'll break out of its niche crowd. One of Twitter's is that it's simple and universally accessible, on the web or on the go with any device. Most of the folks I know outside tech circles wouldn't bother with a game. This presents a chicken/egg problem as the less of my friends are on there, the less inclined I feel to keep using it.

I like the direction they're taking it with getting local businesses involved. There's value in a frequent flyer points system for restaurants, etc. But simply 'checking in' without express ties to transactions probably won't cut it. Further, trying to extract fees from small restaurants and businesses is an expensive feat.

Hope they prove me wrong!

Foursquare looks pretty awesome. If only they had an app for the Pre!

I'm sure they willif the pre's marketshare makes it worthwhile to do so. I just wish they had it for my Sony erircsson i810

Or they let people join who don't live in one of their cities.

Because it did so well when it was still Dodgeball.

Just make a better client and have it feel like a game instead of 'just another social network.' Brilliant.

Edit: And if I recall correctly, Dodgeball predated Twitter, which might be something to mull over in the context of their argument.

Fan of the service, I think it has potential.

But once it become actually influential (free drinks!) how will they protect against spam? What's to stop me checking in a hundred times at a venue (or alternating 2, so I don't have to "re-check in") and becoming the mayor?

OT, but you know you've arrived when someone else is supposed to be "the next you"

Now all they have to do is monetize before they become "the next myspace."

Myspace monetized pretty well, actually: profitable when they were bought out, and then really profitable thanks to the Google ad deal.

In fact, I'd bet that there was only a brief period during which more than a tiny minority of people expected them to make more money than they eventually made.

While these "why ___ may be the next ____" articles might make startup CEOs feel good, I've never seen much correlation with actual success.

I don't think this game looks compelling at all. Twitter is a communication and promotion tool, this is a location-based game; it's completely different. I think Mashable is out of touch. I'm so confident this app will never be a mainstream success I'd probably bet actual money on it. I'm not saying no location based games will be popular - I think they will be amazingly so, but this is not it.

And why does this company persist in calling their apps after irrelevant ball games? First dodgeball, now foursquare. Annoying.

Bah! Humbug!

Seriously, this crotchety rant is the best you could come up with? You apparently have never played this game and your critique offers nothing whatsoever in the way of substance, either for your dismissal of the game in question, nor for your characterization of Mashable as out of touch. Seriously, there's not a single actual point in there anywhere. You could be 100% correct on both counts, but as it stands, your comment adds nothing to the discussion.

What kind of "actual point" would you have preferred to see?

Of course I haven't played this game. I don't need to to say that this puff piece is misguided, just like I don't need to play Mafia Wars on Facebook to be able to emphatically tell you that that's not going to be the next Twitter, either - although that would, if anything, be more likely.

Look, I don't mean to be negative, but I think this kind of app only appeals to a certain type of person and does not have the mass appeal to spread beyond that niche. Mashable is in that niche, so they don't see that not all that many outside it find much value in devoting real time and effort to becoming the virtual "mayor" of a coffee shop.

I disagree. Both dodgeball and foursquare are quite relevant when you're 8 or so.

But otherwise I'm with you 100%.

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