I don't buy the privacy argument. Its an inherently extroverted market so you split your apps into an introvert app that no one in the market will want to use and an extrovert app. Why?
I don't buy the assertion that the small segment of the population that was into 4sq would be into privacy. They're optimizing the experience for people that don't exist beyond the initial fad-explosion.
I would extend my remarks that its a two phase operation where the initial phase is all friends and family and social, but it rapidly converts to astroturfing, basically geo-aware semi-stealthy advertising. Its twitter, as a self selected spam delivery service, but location aware. Not sure how that fits into the privacy angle. This is going to be missed insight on HN because there are so many early adopters here who will remember nostalgically the good old days of being the first on a new service before the masses and then astroturfers invaded and destroyed it.
I don't buy the assertion that the small segment of the population that was into 4sq would be into privacy. They're optimizing the experience for people that don't exist beyond the initial fad-explosion.
I would extend my remarks that its a two phase operation where the initial phase is all friends and family and social, but it rapidly converts to astroturfing, basically geo-aware semi-stealthy advertising. Its twitter, as a self selected spam delivery service, but location aware. Not sure how that fits into the privacy angle. This is going to be missed insight on HN because there are so many early adopters here who will remember nostalgically the good old days of being the first on a new service before the masses and then astroturfers invaded and destroyed it.