I completely get the concept of Foursquare for driving business at a hyper-local level. It's an amazing tool and businesses should absolutely take advantage of what it offers. That said, the security issue scares me a bit. Is it really necessary for everyone to know your whereabouts 24/7? Having been the victim of a stalker type person, perhaps I'm just a bit conservative on this particular issue.
I caught an article on Yahoo today that really gives me pause. In an effort to take away the stigma of getting checked for STDs; Foursquare has started a new promotion that give rewards to users who "check-in" after STDs checkups. According to the article, "Members who "check in" for an STD test during the month of September will receive a special virtual "badge." I'm sorry, call me old fashioned, call me conservative (no one who knows me would put that label on me, except my 15 year old); some things just need to stay private.
I put STD check-ups in that category. Surely there are other socially acceptable ways to encourage people to take care of themselves without offering rewards. To me this crosses the boundaries of personal space. Maybe, personal space and privacy has simply gone out the window. While on the surface this is seems small; the level of personal information being shared online will have far reaching consequences down the road.
Breast cancer awareness has the pink ribbon, wouldn't it be more appropriate to allow users to support a cause in a similar. Here is the link to the article: Foursquare Offers reward for STD Checkups.
Clearly social media is changing the world faster than we can keep up. What are your thoughts on this topic?
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