All hail foursquare!

Question: do I use social networking programs to share information about the life I have, or do I only have a life because social networking programs define it?

Yes, this blog has hidden depths that you are only now becoming aware of. But first, let me clarify that it was a rhetorical question, dummy. If you answered in a comment, go stand in a corner. If you answered out loud, go punish yourself by looking in a mirror and saying "This is why nobody loves you".

Just kidding. I love you...  maybe.

There's a reason I was thinking about that question. I use a program called "foursquare" on my iPhone. It's a little application that uses my phone's GPS to figure out where I am, then uses Google to find all the various social venues, restaurants, bars, etc. in the nearby area. You can "check into" a specific location and write tips, see who else is checked in, or (if you check in frequently enough) become the "mayor" of that location.

You can also get little perks. For example, if you check into a certain Starbucks enough to become the mayor on foursquare, you can show that to the barista and get a discount on your drink orders. And you can earn various badges for accomplishing certain tasks. Earning all the badges in foursquare become one of my most precious life goals. At work, I had to fill out a form stating where I see myself in five years. I said that I see myself standing in my 750 square-foot "Room of Achievement", staring proudly at the trophy case where I display my plaque that I had commissioned the day I earned all my foursquare badges.

One of the badges is "I'm On A Boat" which you earn if you check in to a location tagged "boat". Yesterday, I took the ferry over to Whidbey Island. Why? Not because I had a burning desire to see Whidbey Island. It was because I wanted to get the foursquare badge!! But I didn't check into the right place, so I didn't get the flipping badge! So now (because I hate the concept of cheating) I have to drive back down to Mukilteo ferry tomorrow, and check into the ferry terminal just to get this badge.

Stupid foursquare... Making me go outside to new places and crap.