OCMforum: OCMforum -> By George I think I've just "got" foursquare

Over the last few months I've been seeing a growing number of posts about foursquare. People tweeting their locations, becoming mayors, and collecting medals. At first I didn't pay much interest. I'm more into community spaces than anything and I couldn't really see the point. I suppose I didn't "get it." That, coupled with the fact that I'm still trying to get to grips with the plethora of social networking platforms on offer, and I wondered if I really wanted to get on another band wagon just because everyone else seemed to be trying it. However, as it turns out my curiosity got the better of me and about a month ago I joined foursquare to see what all the fuss was about. I had "checked-in" to two places and whilst I found the tips handy that other people had shared about the locations, I still wasn't sold ... until today.

Working from home I find myself going a little stir crazy from time to time. As Jake McKee quite succinctly put it, being a community manager can be the “loneliest job in business,” and no more so when you work out of your home. So today I decided I would do a little work shifting and set off to Panera Bread so I could soak up some "people" atmosphere. After settling myself down with my laptop, piping hot cup of coffee and delicious souffle I set to work, stopping only to savor my souffle and "check-in" on foursquare. After about 20 minutes a gentleman came up to me and said "Are you on foursquare?" so I replied "Yes" and he said "I thought as much. I just checked in myself and saw your pic as you had also checked in, and then I looked up and realized you were sitting at the table opposite me." Turns out he was a journalist and had just started using Twitter and Foursquare himself and we had a nice conversation about social networking.

So thanks to foursquare I am connecting with new people, and learning more about the places I visit and the people who frequent them. I'm still not 100% convinced that I "get" foursquare, but today I discovered that you can launch a community from many different Social Networking platforms, and in the least likest of places.