
I may not be the first person to become Mayor of an unsavory place on foursquare but I may be the first to talk about it. More importantly, my intent is to discuss where this application will take us as popularity rises, crests and then potentially falls off as user interest jumps to the next application. For now, I am happy to check in at sometimes mundane places like the grocery store or make a statement by checking in at an embassy or other semi exclusive location. The bathroom at work seemed like a logical place to make a statement. How far will we go as application users to differentiate ourselves from everyone else. I actually think that my “Mayorship” will remain intact even if I don’t check in again.
When Dennis Crowley first conceived of foursquare, it was not a restaurant or bank that motivated him to create a location based incentive application. He was crossing a bridge in NY when he spotted some graffiti on the pavement worth stomping on as he jogged across. Thinking he should have been rewarded for his “tag” of the location, this may have been the basis for the development of foursquare. Of course having technology that supports geo-location tagging helps.
Other locations worth mentioning are ones that seem accessible only while driving. My wife checked in from the Bay Bridge last weekend. I was driving but for those who are alone and feel compelled to let others know they are on the 3+mile bridge, they may take their eyes off to log in. Hopefully it won’t take them off the bridge and into the water. A tip might be something like, “Great view of the water but be sure to stay in your lane.” Other locations are the GW Parkway or the Washington Beltway. I am not saying to ban highways or bridges but I hope that foursquare does not assist in killing some of my friends.
I love the way my friends have been tagging their homes. One of my friends marked his home as the “fortress of solitude,” but is it? I never get solitude at home, in fact just the opposite. My wife tagged our home “The Love Shack” but any married man knows this to be a false proposition. Some of my other friends name their home after themselves such as “Wilkins Manor” which seems appropriate. Our home is our castle. A lot of my friends just don’t check in at home. Maybe because it is so too personal. I check in at home but only because I feel like I am “on the clock” and checking in is my way of getting paid for the time I spend at home.
As we continue to add friends to our foursquare networks you can be sure to see some interesting locations pop-up. Will I be the last Mayor of a bathroom? It’s doubtful, but I promise never to raise taxes or restrict water access.
As for the bathroom, It’s been renamed something more appropriate so that clients don’t feel that this is our primary work area.







