A group of Mumbaikars will swarm a café today. Each one of them will “check-in” using their cellphones to win a virtual badge on location-based social networking site Foursquare.
Sounds like science fiction? Well, it's not. They're all celebrating Foursquare Day which is on April 16 because April is the 4th month of the year and sixteen equals to four squared.
What's Foursquare?
It's a mobile app that doubles up as a networking site for mobile devices. The app lets you virtually 'check in' at venues using GPS that detects locations nearby. Users add 'tips' to venues that others can read serving as suggestions for things to do, see or eat at the location. It also awards you 'badges' making it a game.
In Mumbai:
This year, Mumbai Foursquare fans are swarming Salt Water Café in Bandra at 7pm. When asked what makes the group come together for a third time to celebrate a mere application, 32-year-old Kaushal Karkhanis says:
“The passion to explore your city, receive unexpected goodie bags and unlock badges you never knew existed!”
Karkhanis is referring to some of the app's features like 'flash special' through which one knows about special discounts being offered by eateries. Restaurants are using the app to woo customers and some even give the 'mayor' freebies. A mayor is a person who 'checks in' at a particular venue more than anyone else in 60 days.
Apart from the perks of free food and beer offered by sponsors on 4Square Day, users enjoy conversations about their love for 4Square, though the highlight of the day is the 'swarm badge' which is won once more than 50 4Square users swarm the place and 'check in' at the same time!
18 year-old Vivek Venkatram took his interest in 4Square Day to the next level when he submitted a list of 50 places in Mumbai with tips for the 'International Badge Competition'. His was one of the 15 best entries that were selected and awarded a customised 4Square badge for their respective cities. You can win the Me Mumbaikar badge after you've checked in to the city's top hotspots. Here's a list: Mi Mumbaikar. Other cities with badges include Seattle, Tokyo and Istanbul. View the complete list of cities and venues you must check in at to win badges here: Foursquare Cities Lists
“Ours is called-'MiMumbaikar'!” he says. The badge's description reads: Sauntering through the City of Dreams, you feel like the star of your favorite bollywood film. Or maybe you’re coasting by on a BEST bus to meet friends for a ‘cutting’ chai. If it’s good enough for Sachin Tendulkar, it’s good enough for us! Jhakaas!
People living away from the 4Square world may find such a fuss made for the celebration of an application trivial. Priyal Sanghvi who plans to attend 4Square day this month brushes off such notions when she says"4Square Day is also a great platform for like-minded people to come together and party!"
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