@Foursquare And Why It Should Succeed

I join a few sites here and there and check them out just to taste the diverse flavors the web has to offer.  One of my new favorites is @foursquare.  Combine all the 'dwindling' geotagging sites that are dull and uneventful and add a reward system and you have Foursquare.  Include a few goal-driven perks and make it super easy to access via my Nexus One and I am all in!

Foursquare isn't a 'new' social playground, matter of fact it's been around since March 2009.  It's a 'rapidly growing*' free service that allows location-based tracking of your destinations through-out the day.  You may ask why.  You possibly think that this is just another big brother site.  It's very close, but it also has the many privacy options you would require to fly anonymous and still enjoy the "game".  Yes, I used the term "game".  Don't be surprised because that is exactly what this is.  There is a score and other amenities that you can flaunt as you progressively move around your city and show off your achievements.

Let me explain further...

I am not a big fan of geotagging my twitter updates with locations and neither do I care to float around on Latitude or Google Buzz like a balloon head with no body.  I set them up, looked around then disabled them.  I also had an interest in Loopt.  Loopt is a popular geotagging software based around SMS and friend proximity.  It also grew a bit tiresome.  No matter what service you choose to show people you are at the mall, you are just at the mall.  Your presence fades as the tweets and status updates flood over your modest comment and no one ever remembers you were there.  Here is where Foursquare comes in.

Imagine for a second you can leave you mark at your location.  In the past, you would have carved "LLS <3 WKS 2010" into the table with your dinner knife.  Future visitors gawk at how you spent so much time there when they see this archaic display of territory.  You are a part of that place.  You are linked to it's history.  OK, now imagine Foursquare as the table and your mobile device as the dinner knife.

Foursquare allows you to leave your mark via the web and even leave a comment or suggest a "To-Do" at this location.  The most interesting feature is the mayorship you can acquire.  A mayorship is the equivalent of being a local at one location.  To gain this status at any one location you need to have checked in more than anyone else.  When other's visit this location they can see that you are mayor and even connect with you.  It is quite possible the mayor has left a little nugget of knowledge that you can find out about a new place.  The mayor has no responsibilities as a real mayor.  Its purely social and says I have been here more than you and that makes me just a little bit cooler!  Well, maybe not....

Whether you are mayor or not, you still have other rewards to seek.  The other aspect of this location tagging adventure is the badges.  Even as I type, I know the excitement that takes over after receiving one of these coveted markers and it makes me smile.  I want them all.  There are some that seem impossible and take time like checking in at 50 different venues.  It's tough but fun.

With all that said the only thing that is required of you is to 'check-in'.  You will find areas where your local hamburger spot hasn't been added as a venue.  It's OK, just take a moment and add it.  Every mobile app I have seen allows for you to add venues on the fly.  In some cases, it will automatically find the address and you just give the name.  Besides, after you add a 'new' venue and check-in, you only need one more check-in at that location before you can claim mayor!  Yes!  If you obtain mayor of 10 locations at once, you get the Super Mayor badge.

What about safety?  The safety concerns of alerting your public status to others that you are not home is not a good idea whether it be from Foursquare or any other site.  Upon creating an account, please visit the privacy section and define the level of notification you want the world to see via Twitter or Facebook and even Foursquare.  It is ready to link to all your social sites and unleash gobs of info about your whereabouts.  Be careful!  Be SMART!

With all the geotagging ideas out there,  there seems to be something appealing about this to me.  Loopt, Gowalla, Google Buzz and Google Latitude are informative but I don't get much incentive to continually interact.  Every morning, I wake up, grab my phone and check-in for breakfast.  Check-in when I get to work.  Check-in at lunch.  Check-in when I come back to work from lunch. Then, I finally check-in at home. It seems a bit much and I agree it seems exhausting but it is quite the opposite.  One click....and I am checked in. The apps, which are available for any 'new' phone, auto-find venues close to you so you don't have to search.  I can start to see where other sites just missed the boat on reward driven experiences.

So, next time your out-and-about, think of all the places you are passing that presently exist on Foursquare.  Your city is already filling with a collection of 'local' mayors all supporting the city in a mini-marketing campaign.  Users 'swarming' concerts at arenas or speaking conventions.  Knowledgeable people leaving advice, or 'virtual carvings', to share with newcomers at a favorite restaurant.  I believe this hierarchy of active users can push other new users to 'want' these virtual status symbols.  This user competition may be the advantage that could bring Foursquare closer to center stage.  And yes, I will be there; as mayor of your favorite place!

Web Awareness: How To Protect Yourself Against The Web

We've all seen them, some of us have been unfortunate to have them.  Finding yourself with a virus or malware application that will run rampant on your computer is only a click away.  There are a few things you can do to give yourself the power to interact with the web and not worry about malicious attacks on your personal stash of family photos or media libraries.  I have been the victim once or twice and know there is no real advice that is full proof.  I will do my best to help!

These tips are provided for users who may have never thought about these type of issues and can be boring for the advanced web surfer but I will keep try and stay short and entertain as well.

First, lets set a few things straight.  You are to blame.  Your lack of knowledge about computers is what I want to try and drill into your mind.  Nothing, short of a blatant hacker who has isolated you for some type of gain or as revenge, is done to your computer without you either acknowledging the action by clicking the mouse or hitting the enter key.  Your actions are directly related to being safe on the web.  Understanding this, I will give you a few things to think about next time you see a pop-up window or a 'legit' site.  Giving you the knowledge to identify 'careless' tendencies and cure these bad habits on the web will keep your computer healthy.  It's in your hands.

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Being an adventurous soul, as most of us are, we want to see, do and read everything available on the web and there are 'other' people who want prevent this or worse, steal from us.  Virus writers tend to be bored, intelligent beings that hold the idea of creating the most unstoppable bug and unleashing it on the world!  In other cases, malware coders want your stats.  They want your histories of web pages, your tendencies, your intimate details; all to be polled for Ad campaigns.  In some cases, these bugs can cause pop-ups or other website navigation issues.  In the worst case scenario failure of the computer altogether is possible.

Here is a checklist to better prepare you when using the Web.

1. Know Your Sites -  Your ability to observe is key.  The easiest way to lead yourself astray is to not clearly identify where you are.  Sure, everything looks the same and I remember this button and that button.  Your familiarity with your daily sites is the most common duplicated feature for attackers to take advantage of.
   
   My policy is to always have the URL (website address) clearly in view.  If I am on eBay, I expect to see http://www.ebay.com and not http://iwanttostealyourmoney.net/ebay.  Even a less obvious detail would be to find yourself looking over a URL that says http://www.ebaysite.com. You are indeed on the wrong site and need to leave this page immediately.
   
   
2. Clicking Your Mouse - Your mouse and keyboard are really to blame.  Some time ago, many browsers began supporting security features that prevented any action to take place on your computer without you first giving permission.  This is a tricky subject.  For example, how do you know when you give something permission to carry out an action on your computer?  Most attackers choose this ambiguous notion to misguide users to do things they normally wouldn't do.  If you have been presented with a pop-up that says, "My Site would like to do something.  Please click OK or Cancel." You may find yourself unsure what is about to happen and rightly so.
   
   As a web developer I know I can tie malicious actions to either the OK or CANCEL buttons so this is a no-brainer;  close the window altogether.  If you "know this site" and all is well, then go forward with your action.  Otherwise, leave the browser immediately and mentally high-five yourself; you may have just saved your computer!
   
   
3. Protect Yourself - It's a little late in the game to say you can't afford virus/malware protection because there are several leading edge applications that are FREE and very useful.  AVG, Microsoft Security Essentials  and Spyware Doctor are just a few that can help prevent the little nasties from your computer.  However, anti-virus software does not protect against YOU installing something you are not 100% sure is safe.  Frequently, attackers hide bugs in files that look like valid files.  What to do?  When it doubt, delete it out!
   
   I am always asked by friends and family who have 'unknowingly' obtained a nasty bug and my first question is always, "What did you last install?"  Ha!  Don't shrug your shoulders.  If you can't remember what you are installing on your computer, then you shouldn't be installing anything on your computer.  Screensaver packages, background wallpaper generators and unmonitored free software (in general) are breeding grounds for new malicious software creators.  This leads me to my next point!
   
   
4. Researching Software - Be smart, computers are awesome tools and can do great things.  Read about your software first and look for peer reviews.  If you find no information, then this is usually a bad sign.  No information is bad information.  Good, healthy software applications have robust descriptions and reviews mainly because their writers have paraded their new vision or new tool to many people.  The reviews can be numerous and whether positive or negative immediately may show signs of malicious actions and consumer complaints.
   
   How do I research software?  Google it.  Again, no search results means pass by this software.  Special cases include you knowing the person, or team who developed the site.
   
   
5. Spam - Your email inbox is an open invitation for anyone to contact you about sex medication, narcotics, russian brides, western union scams and just about everything you don't want.  It's amazing the amount of Spam that is blocked before it hits your inbox.  Millions upon millions an hour get cut off before it gets to you.  So, what do you do?  You don't open anything unless you are expecting it or you know the sender.  Everything else is white noise and should be 'Marked' as Spam for future filtering purposes.
   
   You can also help in building trust with your friends and family by not forwarding Spam.  For example,  other people's ideas on "How to prevent a heart attack by coughing" or "Skyway to Heaven"(untrue explanation of Disney ride) are considered Spam.  Do you ever wonder why some people never reply to these?  Because they don't read them.  Help all your friends, including me, by sending only pertinent messages that you expect replies to.  If you are the one forwarding me emails with "FW:FW>>>FW:FW:" in the subject line I will not open.  Matter of fact, the priority in which I open and respond in has now sent you to the bottom.  I understand you are trying to help. I understand you want to help others but by forwarding false information you are lowering your value as an email contact and this could cause issues in the future.
   
   
6. Simulated Actions - Twice today, I have already been in contacted by two people who have been duped into downloading Software to help "clean" the bugs supposedly reported.  I have seen this so let me explain.  Out of no where, a window pops up and the status, address and navigation toolbars are hidden and it looks like a valid Windows application.  Some cogs spin and a progress bar about half way down the window shows progress.  Alongside the progress bar a counter is increasing and the number is alarming.  Add to the fact that beside this rising number is the term "Security Risks." Immediately, everyone is alarmed.  Even me.  BUT, I quickly see this is a web page designed to simulate something real so I think I am in imminent danger.  How tricky is that?  There are some smart people out there trying to spread their bugs.
   
   Be careful to take your time to make decisions that could penetrate your computer.  This simulated action is going around fast because it states you must make a decision or your computer will be no good anymore.  That is simply not true.
   
   
7. Backups, Backups, Backups - Do this today.  You will eventually download and install a virus.  The ideas of trickery and misleading designs are getting stronger and smarter.  You will use your back up several times PER computer.  Yes, you will own more than one computer and you data collection will grow as you move to each new system.  It is imperative your data is transferable and backed up regularly.  It's just smart.  Don't let those 11 years of digital photo albums get erased by a bug that you, yourself, downloaded.

Some of these are basic ideas that can help even a novice computer user.  You need to be the responsible one in the relationship.  The computer will not install a virus or download a malware program by itself.  Understanding that you are the gatekeeper can be a powerful tool in helping you navigate web.

Good luck out there!