Today, Pete Cashmore had a piece on CNN "Next Year's Twitter? Foursquare" predicting that FourSquare will be the darling of 2010.
FourSquare is a is location-based social network service overlays your Twitter network with an added layer of social gameplay. FourSquare is a location-based social network to help you connect with friends using GPS via your mobile device. What's a location-based social network? For a crude analogy, think about dogs and fire hyrdants or trees or think about ant trails (ants leave behind a scent for other ants to follow the trail back to the ant hole.)Early adopters have been all over FourSquare and downright bullish about location based social networks using mobile phones in general, despite some privacy concerns.
As I was reading this I wondered when someone was going to launch a fundraiswer with FourSquare. Kismet, stumbled upon this today:
How will location based social networks change fundraising practices?FourSquare announced today it was partnering with TechiesGiveBack.org to raise money for CampInteractive, a local not-for-profit which empowers inner city youth through the inspiration of the outdoors and the creative power of technology.
FourSquare - the innovative mobile social networking game - agreed to team up with TechiesGiveBack in order to make it easy and entertaining to raise funds for charity. By allowing a third-party to sponsor the FourSquare Leader Board during the NY Tech Gives Back event, users can benefit the cause simply by “checking in” at venues they would regularly attend. In addition to the regular system of points and rewards, a ratio will be created between points earned and dollars, with the funds raised donated to CampInteractive.
Dennis Crowley, FourSquare’s founder and CEO said today: “This has been something we’ve wanted to do with FourSquare for a long time. We’re really excited about working with TechiesGiveBack and are looking forward to hearing from potential sponsors. This is a great way to give.”
TechiesGiveBack.org is dedicated to unifying the New York tech industry for the purpose of improving the local community through volunteering and fundraising. Co-founder Adam Gillman said today, "We believe that there are a lot of talented individuals in the tech community who are willing and able to give back, but just need an outlet. We decided to create an organization to facilitate those activities." Simon Kirk, Co-Founder continued, “We’d like to get as many people as we can to participate. One way to do that is to be innovative. There’s no reason why giving back shouldn’t be fun.”
In addition to fundraising, TechiesGiveBack.org has planned to bring 50 children from CampInteractive’s program to Manhattan for an afternoon of ice skating and activities.