Communicating Through Location: The Understood Meaning of the Foursquare Check-in. Issue 4 (1st July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frith, Jordan
• Is Part Of: Journal of computer-mediated communication. Volume 19:Issue 4(2014:Jul.)
• Page Start: 890
• Page End: 905
• Publication Date: 2014-07-01
• Subjects: Foursquare -- mobile communication -- place -- coordination -- LBSNs -- smartphones; Telematics -- Periodicals; Computer networks -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Communication -- Periodicals; 302.20285
• DOI: 10.1111/jcc4.12087
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1083-6101

Abstract

Abstract: Location-based social networks (LBSNs) are mobile applications that allow people to share their physical location with friends through their mobile device. The sharing of location is a relatively new form of computer-mediated communication, and there is a lack of existing research examining the coordination practices of people using social location sharing services. This article reports on qualitative interviews with frequent users of the LBSN Foursquare to show both how LBSNs complicate views of the relative "placelessness" of traditional mobile communication and how the design of Foursquare complicates its utility as a mobile coordination tool.