Geolocation App Rules of Etiquette by Ben Reynolds

If you’re one of the hip, tech savvy, Starbucks swilling, series finale of Lost-lamenting, smart phone-toting, internet junkies so prominent in this modern society, you may be aware of the latest fad in social media, GPS location apps.  These applications, such as Gowalla or Foursquare, tap into both man’s craving for social interaction, and his need to broadcast useless information to anyone unlucky enough to be on his contact list.

For the uninitiated, GPS location apps allow you to “check-in” with your smart phone (or iPad) when you’re out and about, recording your location and broadcasting it to any friends tied in to your social network.  The idea here is that your friends will see that you’ve checked in at said location, and either come along to join you, or have a much easier time avoiding you.

Being smack-dab in the middle of the target demographic (I’m so active within the realm of social media, you could call me Neo), I’ve been using both aforementioned apps for a number of months now, and several annoying behaviors of users have come to light.  In an effort to correct these issues (and yes, exercise a little self-righteousness), here are Ben’s Geolocation App Rules of Etiquette.

1. No checking in at places you’re just passing by. Both Gowalla and Foursquare award points for checking in at different venues, thus sparking some incentive to just press “check-in” at every venue within range.  This defeats the purpose of the app, is totally obvious by looking at the offending user’s profile (as check-ins are time-stamped), and is punishable by being punched in the face.
2. Don’t send your check-ins to other social networks without providing useful information or at least attempting witty commentary. The popular geolocation apps allow you to forward your check-in information to other popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.  They also allow you to attach a comment.  Twitter is already full of useless commentary, and most people would find “Just fought off a legion of ninjas (@ the park)” more interesting than the default “I just checked in (@ the park)”.
3. Don’t add your (or your friends’) current place of residence as a venue. If Facebook or Twitter is any indication, many people don’t seem to realize that if you put information on the internet, ANYONE CAN READ IT.  That being said, posting coordinates to your home on an app that specifically tells people when you’re not there seems like an obvious mistake to avoid.  I’ve definitely felt inclined to knock on a stranger’s door after seeing a nearby home on Foursquare, wait for them to answer then say, “Just checking in” or “As the mayor of this location, I demand to use your bathroom!”
4. Don’t check in anywhere that might reveal sensitive information. By the same token as keeping your home’s location private, there are other places you might not want to alert the entire world’s attention to.  Checking in at the doctor’s office and commenting, “Getting this rash checked out.  Hope it’s not contagious!” is ill advised if you’d like to hang out with your friends ever again.  Places like banks, courtrooms, trashy nightclubs, and adult bookstores should also be kept private.

Well, there you have it, the final ruling on how to properly use Foursquare, Gowalla, or any other upcoming geolocation apps.  After all, if someone blogs about it, it MUST be true!  However, if you think you have any credible addendums, disagreements, or additional rules, list them in the comments.