‘Check-in’ for fun!

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Aryan has checked into Hard Rock Café'. If you see an update like this online, that means your friend is using a location-based social networking site or service that reveals his or her current location.
One such popular site is Foursquare that sees youngsters checking-in, winning badges and even mayorships. Says student Aarohi S, “It’s a way of telling people where you are. You win badges and mayorships when you frequently check-in to particular places. It connects through GPRS. If you win mayorships, some places give you discounts or free alcohol!” Though her foursquare is not linked with her Facebook account, a lot of users can be seen linking it to FB. Adds another Foursqauare user Rahul K, “When you check into a place, if there are any friends close by, they will know where you are and you can catch up with them. But not everybody prefers these services because not all people would like to disclose their location.”
Graduate Aishwarya Vijay says she checks-in using her BlackBerry. “I use the Facebook application on my phone to check-in. I check-in around once in two to three days, I don’t do it everyday. I know people who do it ten times a day!” Apart from letting friends know where you are, Aishwarya says, “You can tell people about a nice place or restaurant so that they can visit it too. Last week, I checked into an Italian restaurant. When people ask me about it I can tell them more about the place. It helps in publicising the place.”
Google’s Latitude is another location-based app that works on Android, Windows Mobile, Symbian S60, BlackBerry devices and the iPhone. It can even be linked to Twitter and all your followers can know where you are
Student Vishwa S has seen many of his pals check-in through their phones. “I get so many such updates on Facebook. When I see many people check in at a particular restaurant and night club, I feel like visiting the place too. Through the check-ins, you can also get to know the latest hangouts that youngsters are heading to.”
Where are you checking-in next?