Leaving Gowalla & Foursquare

First, let me say that this is not meant to be a smack-down of location-based social networking apps. I love the concept behind these programs and think they are of potential value and can definitely be a ton of fun. I have been an active member of Gowalla for several months. I love the crowd, the app, and the idea. I started working Gowalla and Foursquare plugins. I even joined the "Street Team"; a group of users that are given rights to edit locations to improve the overall community experience.

Somewhere along the way, I got to the point that the first thought that crossed my mind when arriving somewhere was "I should check in on Gowalla." I am all for social media, but the fact that I was thinking about checking in online before I saw who was there—sometimes before I even arrived—had me a bit worried.

I know there is a lot of potential benefit from these location based services. It makes connecting with your friends easier... sorta. It makes you feel like a part of your community... sorta. Very few local friends are participating and I'm just not that interested in adding strangers into the mix, so it was more like burrowing into a great big nothing for me.

It's been about a week since I've stopped using the two apps and I must say, it's been liberating. I've gotten more work done, enjoyed my time off more, and I've stopped reaching for my phone every time I go somewhere.

Will I go back? Maybe, but it would have to be for a really good reason. As it stands, I'm thrilled to be back to the pre-Gowalla-Foursquare days.

Photo credit: Keegan Jones