Let me begin with this, if you have no idea what foursquare is, you need to start by reading this post, but basically, foursquare is a location-based social networking site/app. Emphasis on the social networking. There are four categories of people, as applied to foursquare:

  1. those who use it and love it
  2. those who used it and hate it
  3. those who have never tried it
  4. and those who have never tried it, yet still manage to hate it

Those who use it and love it understand it is a game. It is a way to add a little adventure to your life. It gives you a reason to go to that new place instead of the one you normally go to. To those of us who play the game, it is not that we just are rabid psychopaths who have to let everyone know where we are at every moment. We check in to learn more about those around us. If a foursquare-friend has been to a place you just checked in to and has left a tip, you have learned more not only of the venue, but also that person. It is interesting.

Those who used it and hate it, for the most part, are people who tried the app at the behest of a friend who uses it, but are not usually the adventurous type. They don’t want to know where others have been, nor do they care to go somewhere new based upon a “stupid app” on their phone. Yes, I have heard that one more than once! They are content with living their lives from within a 20-mile radius, thus defeating the purpose of playing in the first place.

Those who have never tried it do not know whether they will like it or not. They may not even know it exists. They are the ones reliant upon those of us who play the game to let them know about it — to spread the word. If you play the game and enjoy it, let someone else know about it!

Those who have never tried it, yet still manage to hate it most likely cannot stand foursquare because they are sick of the non-stop twitter timeline intrusions and facebook bombardments. Yes, in the beginning, I was guilty of being a proprietor of this sort of behavior myself. And believe me, I heard about it! When you check in with foursquare, it is displayed (depending on your settings that is) on twitter and facebook. When you begin to use the app, you check in everywhere and post everything. Every stop you make. All day…every day. In fact, there is a badge for that.

Here is the kicker, those who use it and love it are the ones that bring those who have never tried it, yet still manage to hate it into being. In an attempt to end this vicious circle of creation, here a few foursquare etiquette tips that everyone should adhere to.

Limit the types of places you post to twitter and facebook.

Probably the most important tip. You do realize that when you check in, you have the option to not put it on twitter, right?!? Yes, we are all happy that you got your oil changed and tires rotated then kept your Proctologist appointment, but twitter and facebook is not the place to tell everyone. Foursquare has its own timeline for a reason. Those who care about your current location will look it up there.

We all want the points and mayorships, but those who don’t play the game couldn’t care less! I assume that the number of twitter followers and facebook friends is important to you; after all, that is kind of the point isn’t it? Posting every single stop you make in a day is going to cost you followers/friends. I speak from experience! If foursquare is to survive, it is going to have to avoid a negative connotation. A connotation that we as users create by annoying people with it.

Strive to understand the purpose of foursquare.

The purpose of foursquare is to share venue information. If you go to a new restaurant and it is horrible, by all means leave a tip on foursquare so others don’t make the same mistake! If you know of something that is spectacular at your favorite eatery, post that as well! Foursquare is not meant for you to keep a log of every stop you make in a day. No one cares that you are at work. In fact, if your employer offers prizes/awards to the mayor, you are probably banned from checking in there anyway.

Stop trying to cheat

Adding a venue for every room in your house (and for some people, different locations within each room) is not only annoying, it is cheating. Though points accrued are not currently used for anything except bragging rights, one day they might be. Those who use the app for what it is for get irritated by the “Relaxing (@ my couch)” and “Time to get some rest (@ my bed)” and “Making dinner (@ the kitchen)” posts that we all know you are only doing to get the points and become the mayor for.

The problem is, right now there is no way of regulating what qualifies as a venue. I can only assume if the points were one day used for some type of prize that there would have to be some sort of regulation in place. I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult that would be to implement, but it will be a necessity in order to keep people from adding a new venue every 5 feet from the car to the office just to get points.

Limit your number of check ins per day.

They created the Overshare Badge for a reason. And yes, I have it.

If you are annoyed, let us know!

If you are the type of person who has never tried foursquare, yet still manage to hate it because you are annoyed with the twitter/facebook posts, how about letting the offender know instead of simply unfollowing/unfriending them? As with any new “toy” one acquires, there is a period of knowledge building. People who have just started using the app are excited about it and want to try it out. Have you thought about this: if you are annoyed because everyone you follow/friend post incessantly…there is probably a reason they do it! Instead of getting furious because everyone is clogging your timeline, how about giving it a try. If they are doing it and enjoying it, maybe you would enjoy it as well. You will never know until you try!

Likewise, if you get unfollowed/unfriended because you are being annoying, knock it off or don’t complain! You have to make a choice. If you are at Starbucks getting your iced, quad, venti, vanilla late like you do every day, you might not want to post that to twitter and facebook. If you are standing on top of the Empire State Building getting ready to base jump it, there might be a person on twitter/facebook that might want to know. Then again, you might not want to post that at all, as I am relatively certain that base jumping off the Empire State Building is illegal. Anyway, you get my point.

As I stated in the beginning of this post, when I began using foursquare, I was guilty of a few of the offenses listed above. I think the majority foursquare users have been. The point is, just because you think something is right, or not annoying, does not make it so and a little courtesy will go a long way.

Is there something that irritates you that you think should be listed? Have any comments or suggestions? We would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

Interested in foursquare? Read this post or head over to the foursquare website to download the app for your phone.