Where are you right now?  Chances are I don’t have to look much further than Facebook to find out.  My friend Marissa is currently at the St. Louis Chinese Christian Church.  A guy I used to go to school with is at the Bouley Upstairs.  Someone else I know is at the Playoff Sports Bar.  Do I care?  Not really.  But it does beg the question: does sharing our location really make the world more social?  

I’ve written a ton of articles about Foursquare and I do believe that it is a social platform for the future.  It has revolutionized the way some people act and will be a great platform for location-based communication and loyalty based incentive programs down the road.  So why did Facebook enter the marketplace?  Because it can.

On the week of August 16, Facebook launched a new functionality called Places.  It’s only available on mobile devices and is used primarily to check in at different venues and share your location with friends and family who may be in near proximity to you. The video below says it best.  (Note the very apple-esque  nature of the video.  I applaud them for the effort.  It sells me with its style).

Now without further adu, the main competitor Foursquare, and the video promoting their service.  (Note the very fun nature of the video.  Not a huge fan, but the service has been around for a while now and it fits the brand and the style of the company).

As an avid fan of Foursquare I won’t lie and say that I welcome Places with open arms.  Luckily however, I don’t think this will change the game.  At this point, Foursquare has a one-up on innovation and ideas for usage.  You get badges, rewards, leave comments, receive promotions, etc.  Trust me, I know Facebook has plans to do all of this and more, and believe me, with the amount of users on the platform, they will do it with ease, but I won’t be giving up on the underdog just yet.  Plus, there’s still a very small minority of people who want to share their locations (ie. moms currently out of the equation).  

Will Facebook places make the world more social?  Maybe.  But it doesn’t change the fact that without a reason to check in, people won’t check in, without hi-speed Internet on their phone, people won’t check in, and without a guarantee that their privacy is protected, people won’t check in.  However, the fact remains: it’s a fun idea with a whole lot of substance.  What I hope for is this: a world more interested in sharing insightful information on particular places.  What I hope for more than that: that people won’t be posting info on their late night trip to McDonalds or their good night’s sleep at the Hampton Apartment Club. 

Here’s to wishful thinking.

What you do you think of Facebook Places?  Are you going to remain loyal to Foursquare?  Will you stay away and keep your location private?  You should leave your comments below.

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