Lets Talk About Location-Aware Social Networking
The first decade of the current century may well be later summarized as the days when web-based and mobile social networks first appeared and became popular. And every year new aspects in social networks emerge. In recent times, we are seeing plenty of location-dependent features in online social networking sites.
Since these services are quite regularly used by mobile devices it is understandable why GPS-based tools are a hot new trend among mobile junkies. I mean, mobile users communicate with friends by services like Twitter and Facebook while running errands around the city. No doubt they might periodically decide to inform others where they’re located. Maybe these people may decide to simply share the time spent having dinner at a certain restaurant or maybe they want friends to keep them company.
Among the most obvious examples of GPS-based social networking solutions is Foursquare. This service was built especially for mobile phones and makes it possible users to “check-in” to many venues. Gowalla is also a relevant tool. Moreover, Facebook has added features like Facebook’s ‘Places’, which enable users to carry out essentially the same.
There is some controversy when it comes to these GPS-based features. Many individuals are just uncomfortable making their location known. What if you unintentionally let people in on something personal? Nevertheless, a great number of people using similar mobile solutions believe that once you begin using it, you just cannot stop. In other words, if you’ve occasionally been faced with the dilemma which restaurant to choose but for some reason felt uneasy calling and scheduling a date, you’ll probably appreciate apps like Foursquare. Because you can easily see where others are located, it should be acceptable to just go and unite with them.
About the author:
Lionel Mehill has worked in the software industry for over 5 years in cooperation with Azoft, specializing mainly in iphone apps development.