Comments on: Austin Analyst: Foursquare vs Gowalla

By: Check This | Guidewire Group

Check This | Guidewire Group — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:01:27 +0000

[...] conducted a head-to-head of the services a while back and seemed to settle on Foursquare as my app of choice. But here am I [...]

By: Mobile Report: 4 Mobile Business Trends And Products You Should Know About

Mobile Report: 4 Mobile Business Trends And Products You Should Know About — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:33:10 +0000

[...] So why would you want folks checking into your business on these services? You separate the newcomers from your those you love your services. If your business is smart you’re keeping track of these folks. They’re not just a regular of your business. According to Foursquare, they’re the mayor of your business! Would you turn down the chance to talk to the actual Mayor of your city if she came into your store? Didn’t think so. The same should apply to the mayor of your business on Foursquare. Just ask Intel, Bay Area Transit, Metro Newspaper, or Guidewire Group’s VP of Community Strategy & Engagement, Carla Thompson. [...]

By: The Vortex: Kind of rambling | Guidewire Group

The Vortex: Kind of rambling | Guidewire Group — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:58:55 +0000

[...] should’ve seen it coming when my recent Foursquare vs Gowalla post became one of the most-read posts on our blog. Location-based apps are going to be one of the most [...]

By: Shewchuk

Shewchuk — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:16:06 +0000

I started on FourSquare but since have become a Gowalla fan. I like the geocaching aspect where you’re collecting and trading items. I can see the appeal of being the mayor of a place but as of right now that offers me no reward.

My biggest peeve with FourSquare now is that you can cheat because it doesn’t currently use GPS to verify your actual location.

Gowalla sent out an email with little teases as to what is coming this year such as a blackberry and android app, commenting system, photos, and trading items with your friends… it seems that I’ll continue to use it over FourSquare.

By: carlacthompson

carlacthompson — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:16:21 +0000

Adam – I was familiar with Gowalla when I started using it. But, as someone was tracks emerging technology from the viewpoint of mass consumers, it’s actually very important that I do just as you said – jump into things without training. Because that’s the way your average, non-tech consumer would do it. If I have to watch a training video to use your fun game, you’re doing something wrong.

And yes, I found interesting items and left some for people, as I mentioned with the Beatnik Poet. But doing so still didn’t illustrate why exactly I should be using this service.

A bit of an update: I’m still using both services, though tend to gravitate toward Foursquare for the main reason cited in the post – more friends are on it. But Foursquare has its issues too and, in the end, I may just say to hell with the both of them until they figure out how to engage their audiences better. Time will tell.

By: Adam

Adam — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:15:40 +0000

Gowalla is nice and fun in it’s own way. The way that the game is, it doesn’t even really necessitate that you have real life friends involved. It’s for a different purpose. It’s more of a social game of exploration than a program for meeting friends and exchanging tips like Foursquare. Did you try any of the trips? Did you find any interesting items or leave any in clever places for people?

If you’re going to start using any new program, much less your first foray into a relatively new and unknown “genre” if you will, it’s kinda your own fault for not even going to their website to read how it works and what the basic point of the game is. They even have a video in the middle of the main page. Writing it off because you didn’t get the rules upon jumping right in is kinda lame.

By: Rahsheen

Rahsheen — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:06:16 +0000

My major beef with Gowalla is that I can’t use it. I don’t have an iPhone. It’s a niche service until it offers a way to check in via SMS and via the web. Foursquare allows for the least common denominator, someone with a basic cell phone and no data plan, to play too.