Foursquare is getting a potty mouth
How were you punished when your mom caught you saying a “not so nice” word? Did she make you wash your mouth out with soap? Did you get sent to your room or were you grounded for a week?
FOURSQUARE’S BLUE-NESS
As I was using the geo-tagging, hyper-local service Foursquare today, my eyes stumbled upon names and words that I normally do not like to read – and I was offended.
I know some peeps will call me old-fashioned with this post – and I do understand freedom of speech – but I never expected to see what I read today and the volume. For you see, I simply wanted to check into my local grocery store this afternoon on Foursquare and in doing so I had to scroll through so many crazy dumb names before I landed on Vons. Such places were listed like “Whore House,” “Sexy room,” or the “Sex Cave,” etc., etc., etc. I even noticed that someone in my vicinity listed her home as “the town drunk lives here!” What’s wrong with people?
I’ve noticed this happening for some time, but it wasn’t as prevalent as it is now. Try searching the word “whore” on Foursquare and you’ll be astonished what comes up! You will see what I mean.
There's Always Some Rotten Apples that Taint A Good Thing
With potty mouth taking over this platform, I would like to recommend Foursquare start to enforce some policies where certain terms (i.e., whore) are not appropriate and thus are banned from the service. Other services do watch what’s posted, like Facebook and myspace. Sometimes we have to police people for themselves.
I do like Foursquare and have enjoyed it, but if it continues to get more and more vulgar, I will stop and recommend others do so as well. It’s getting quite the potty mouth lately. Have you noticed it too?
FOURSQUARE MAY NOT BE GOOD FOR BUSINESS
I have a been a giant fan of the application and think it is a tremendous service for businesses. I would hate for it to become a place where childish blue humor hangs out. I’m all for creativity…but seeing ho and drunk and sex all over the place isn’t good for business. For what business wants to be listed being near “the town drunk?”
Note to Parents: In addition to checking in on your kids Facebook comments, also check about how they have listed your crib on Foursquare. You may be surprised what they’ve labeled your lovely home as and more specifically, their bedroom.
I wish Foursquare would issue a badge for good behavior on Foursquare! Now that’s an idea I would endorse.
Cindy
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Cindy, I am with you on the fact that it is annoying, and inappropriate…
However, I think that it is harmless. Someone calling their home the “whore house” doesn’t hurt you. It actually shouldn’t even effect you at all. I agree that it shouldn’t happen, but it is the parents responsibility to monitor their children, not you, and definitely not foursquare. And the fact is, some of those people are probably older than you expect and still that immature.
As for “Sometimes we have to police people for themselves.” Yikes. I should hope not. That is just a slippery slope towards censorship and first amendment right issues. I don’t want anyone telling me what I can and can’t say online, or anywhere else. As long as I am not breaking laws or hurting someone, I should have the right to name my house whatever I please.
Thanks Kirsten…you bring up several valid points, however, I do think that Foursquare should adopt some type of social policy. I’m a big advocate of those these days.
I am glad to hear that you are examining this issue internally at World Spinner. I come out of the television world and we have always had a standards and practices department and they watched all the programming and provided guidelines to unacceptable content.
I would be more than happy to help in anyway as you formulate this issue. I do believe, that unfortunately, due to immature people, some sort of s&p is now necessary. It’s all because you’ve been extremely successful – so that’s a good thing. It’s now just time for a social policy.