I joined Foursquare in Sept 2009. I've been a daily user since then - mayor of a lot of cool places, creeping up on 10k checkins, lots of tips and lists. I had checked into my favorite coffee shop so many times, as mayor I got a 20% discount on everything! I'd made a lot of 4sq friends over the years, and just have generally enjoyed using the app. It made SENSE to put it on the bottom row - I used the others on the row a lot, but may have actually used 4sq the most (checkins, checking what others were doing, etc)
Today, after spending the last few months in frustration, something radical happened...
Bottom row something like this,
since 2009 (*)
Today
Not the end of the world, but certainly the end of an era for me.
I had written AnnotatedEarth in 2002, and have been huge into the potential of location-aware ever since, and had been happily amazed that someone had finally done something really cool, that I wanted to use, with location-aware tech. With AE I'd nibbled around parts of the idea, but had never moved forward on that (for many reasons - see the AE -page for info).
I was disturbed a few months ago, when some of the functionality from Foursquare moved to a new app, Swarm. I'm not a big fan of switching between apps, which these two apps started to do, but I continued to use it.
... and then, so much functionality moved from the Foursquare app to Swarm, that the Foursquare app really didn't do ANYTHING but list nearby places and launch Swarm. Huh. Weird....
Then, one day a few weeks ago, I opened Foursquare and, to my surprise, it was a new app! Basically a Yelp recommendation service. In addition, Swarm had been slowly reduced in functionality. No more Mayor or badges (two of the things I had the most fun with). WTF!?
I found myself using the app less and less, until I realized today that I hadn't used it since August 16th ( 13 days ago). I decided to make one last checkin to my favorite coffee place, and then move both Foursquare and Swarm off the bottom row and 1st screen.
Maybe Foursquare will find success with their new app, but I doubt I'd use it again. I've read their blog, talking about putting back some of the functionality into swarm (but not really, from what I can see - mayor of your friends just sucks). I really just have a bad taste in my mouth with what they did. As a software developer, I get it - but it's something I'd never to do my users, and really think it was pretty slimy.
What I believe happened is that they wanted to roll out a new recommendation app. They realized they had this huge, dedicated install base with Foursquare, so decided to quietly slip the entire Foursquare app to a NEW app, and then replace the Foursquare app with the recommendation app. Brilliant, at some level - insta-massive install base for a new app, super-recognizable name (even my parents know what it is) - WOWZA! WE'VE GOT A WINNER!
As far as I'm concerned, it was bait and switch, and not at all cool.
I've been a developer for a long time, and I LOVE my users. Having people use and love my software is one reason I write software in the first place. The last thing I'd want to do is piss them off, and certainly wouldn't do something slimy to them, like Foursquare has done to their users. If they wanted to create a new app, then by all means, do so. If they no longer wanted to support the old app, then stop doing so.
Anyway. It was a free app so I really can't bitch too much. I loved it for years, and I wish Foursquare the best of luck. 'course I will soon no longer get my 20% discount at Vovito, or my free cookie every day at the cafe down the road (not that I need more cookies!)
Anyone know of a good replacement app?
-Greg
( (*) - Wow - they changed the icon. Great... *boggle* So the top screenshot was edited, to place the old icon there)
I was disturbed a few months ago, when some of the functionality from Foursquare moved to a new app, Swarm. I'm not a big fan of switching between apps, which these two apps started to do, but I continued to use it.
... and then, so much functionality moved from the Foursquare app to Swarm, that the Foursquare app really didn't do ANYTHING but list nearby places and launch Swarm. Huh. Weird....
Then, one day a few weeks ago, I opened Foursquare and, to my surprise, it was a new app! Basically a Yelp recommendation service. In addition, Swarm had been slowly reduced in functionality. No more Mayor or badges (two of the things I had the most fun with). WTF!?
I found myself using the app less and less, until I realized today that I hadn't used it since August 16th ( 13 days ago). I decided to make one last checkin to my favorite coffee place, and then move both Foursquare and Swarm off the bottom row and 1st screen.
Maybe Foursquare will find success with their new app, but I doubt I'd use it again. I've read their blog, talking about putting back some of the functionality into swarm (but not really, from what I can see - mayor of your friends just sucks). I really just have a bad taste in my mouth with what they did. As a software developer, I get it - but it's something I'd never to do my users, and really think it was pretty slimy.
What I believe happened is that they wanted to roll out a new recommendation app. They realized they had this huge, dedicated install base with Foursquare, so decided to quietly slip the entire Foursquare app to a NEW app, and then replace the Foursquare app with the recommendation app. Brilliant, at some level - insta-massive install base for a new app, super-recognizable name (even my parents know what it is) - WOWZA! WE'VE GOT A WINNER!
As far as I'm concerned, it was bait and switch, and not at all cool.
I've been a developer for a long time, and I LOVE my users. Having people use and love my software is one reason I write software in the first place. The last thing I'd want to do is piss them off, and certainly wouldn't do something slimy to them, like Foursquare has done to their users. If they wanted to create a new app, then by all means, do so. If they no longer wanted to support the old app, then stop doing so.
Anyway. It was a free app so I really can't bitch too much. I loved it for years, and I wish Foursquare the best of luck. 'course I will soon no longer get my 20% discount at Vovito, or my free cookie every day at the cafe down the road (not that I need more cookies!)
Anyone know of a good replacement app?
-Greg
( (*) - Wow - they changed the icon. Great... *boggle* So the top screenshot was edited, to place the old icon there)
