Wow, Yelp, FourSquare, Gowalla and now Facebook gets involved in location-based services (lbs).
I don’t like it and do not think that I will use it (outside of my initial test). Why you ask? Well here goes.
I am a member of numerous Social Networks for a reason. Facebook for my friends and to keep in touch with others acquaintances, LinkedIn for my professional relationships, Twitter to keep up with industry information…the list goes on. Now there may be overlap between my friends, my co-workers and my business friends among these channels, but in general, there are distinct reasons why I keep them separate.
FourSquare is my tightest network, meaning that I do not friend people who I do not know, or have never met. I have only “friended” 57 people. While I have 600 “friends” on Facebook, some that I have not seen since grammar school/high school, I do not see the need to allow them to see my each and every move. I have ignored requests from people who I am connected with on Facebook and on LinkedIn when they request to be friends on FourSquare.
I really wonder what the adoption rate will be on Facebook. Now if I could put specific people within my Facebook Network into a group, and only share my “Place” with those people………What do you think, Will you use Facebook Places? Which way will you go?
Social Media Strategy, Moderation & Management Musings 
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August 30, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Aaron Strout
Mike – good post as always. As I snarkily added in my RT of your link to this post on Twitter, I think you’re missing out by not using Places. What I’m finding is that every time I check in, I’m creating some very cool conversations with a lot of my “not as social” friends and family. I still use FourSquare but I mainly either check in there without cross-posting or will sometimes cross-post my checkins to Twitter.
At the end of the day though, it is an individual decision.
August 30, 2010 at 2:24 pm
jmacofearth
Yeah, seriously, check in if you want to, but you don’t have to tweet about it all the time. “I am at… I am at… I am…”
You are not your tweet, nor are you your location. Any more than I am the mayor of simpleton. Well, I might be the mayor of nothing…
Anyway, all of the geo-places apps bore me to tears. I’m not following anyone I care that much about. It’s like stalking. If I wanted to know you were at Subway for lunch, I’d’a asked, “Where are you going to lunch.” I didn’t ask. So don’t tell.
@jmacoferath | uber.la
August 30, 2010 at 2:25 pm
jmacofearth
Oh and can you “check out” on any of those services. I mean, if you WERE at Starbucks, when are you GONE or NOT at Starbucks? And do I have to wait for your next “check in” to track where you are at this moment? Really!
August 30, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Tweets that mention Facebook Places, to use or not to use? « Social Media Strategy, Moderation & Management Musings -- Topsy.com
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Aaron Strout and John McElhenney .010, Mike Pascucci. Mike Pascucci said: Will you use Facebook Places? I think that I will pass – http://bit.ly/aiNrti – Blog post #socmed […]
August 30, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Simon Salt
Mike,
I can see your point with this initial implementation of Places but honestly this is the vanilla taster designed to get the non-geek audience that constitutes the majority of Facebook users involved in Social Location Sharing. With the acquisition of Hot Potato Facebook has the opportunity to make Places something very special.
However, given that most of your concerns center around who you share your location with I can see that for you and users like you Places is unlikely to ever have appeal. Of course it makes me question why you would be involved in any social location sharing platform at all. SLS is so much more than just sharing with your friends where you are, it provides the opportunity to open conversations with people that you might otherwise have engaged. By the same argument you might only follow your friends on Twitter.
Simon
August 30, 2010 at 2:39 pm
mikepascucci
Aaron,
I knew your POV before I posted, as we discussed a few weeks ago. Thanks for posting
@jmacoferath,
Thanks for the comments
Simon,
It all comes down to control for me. Just because I went to High school with you does not mean that I want to share where I go and what I do. To me it is more about current activity, and while I may want to see what you are up to in general, and view photos of your family, and potentially share messages (on Facebook particularly), that does not mean that I also want you to know that I just checked in to my job. But, I do want to share that with my professional business partners and people that I work with on a daily basis, and my friends on FourSquare. As I mentioned in my post, if I could put my Friends on Facebook into a “Share places” group, and only share my check-ins with those people, that would be ideal for me. It is about control and choices.
Thanks for your comments!
Mike P
@mikepascucci
August 30, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Aaron
I agree with Mike’s post, and sentiment. As for Aaron’s argument, while that sounds great, but it’s a logistical nightmare, and a wise man once told me, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. I don’t feel I trust facebook to have good enough security for me to be able to control who sees what, nor do I trust my abilities to know how to leverage it properly. So instead of doing it just a bit, I won’t do it.
AO
August 30, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Aaron Strout
Aaron – not sure what the logistical nightmare is. Checking in across multiple location-based services? If so, you’re right, it’s a pain in the ass. But for the John Q. Public, it’s not that difficult to checkin to Places via the Facebook mobile site or their iPhone app. Personally, I’ve been using location-based services for nearly three years so Places as a stand alone isn’t enough for me. With that said, if I were just getting started today, I’d have no problem just using Places.
As for your security concerns, it’s a fair point. But if that’s your argument, you could say why use Facebook at all (there are plenty of other ways they can screw you from a privacy perspective).
Either way, I appreciate your (and all the others commenting here) views on Places and location-based services in general.
August 30, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Aaron
Aaron –
I’m not really worried about the simplicity or lack of features. The mac still has one mouse button, you either learn your way around it, or you buy a two button mouse.
I just think it’s hard to limit what gets posted where, and what bucket specific people live in, and how to gracefully manage that.
‘What do you mean you won’t friend me?’
I do use 4sq, but for very limited things. I really do love location powered apps, but I’m not sure I’m ready to adopt it for that broad of an audience.
Maybe you are right, I should ditch fb. The UI is terrible for reading your stream. I don’t farm, or mafia war. I rarely talk with people I wouldn’t otherwise be connected with. It’s nice once and a while to find those long lost friends, but is it worth it?
AO
August 31, 2010 at 11:06 am
Pauline Brannigan
Mike, I am with you. I like to separate my consumer based social networks… to the point… I rarely share Foursquare check ins on Twitter and I am not hooked up to Facebook. I won’t be using “Places” beyond checking it out for business knowledge.
I love the business use of the Geo-targeting applications because they extend the business benefits to the small business… however, I think there is some danger in these applications, Privacy and stalking come to mind.
September 1, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Casey Cheshire
Well said Mike. Geolocation is in our future but the current offerings are not the mature offering. It’s like we’re playing around with MySpace and one day a Facebook will come along. Location is in the future, but it’s got a ways to go!
September 1, 2010 at 2:54 pm
mikepascucci
Casey,
Thask for stopping by and commenting. It definitely has a long way to go, I agree.
Mike
September 6, 2010 at 7:41 pm
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October 25, 2010 at 6:19 am
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I do not think its one or the other proposal to the City Foursquare or Gowalla vs Facebook. Facebook is not interested in adding gameplay arrivals, as they were not interested in building games, but in creating a platform on which others could build games.
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At last! Someone who uendrstnads! Thanks for posting!
November 11, 2010 at 3:36 am
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of course I will start using Facebook more because I am very curious. Games side buttons, many of my friends are on Facebook Four square, to extend this network of people.
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