Facebook and Location: Here is What We Know
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Facebook and Location: Here is What We Know
AdAge is reporting that we will very soon see some sort of McDonald’s app on Facebook mobile that allows people to check in – or at least associate their status updates – to McDonalds locations (see our analysis here).
For this to happen, Facebook will need to be able to map status updates to user location. Which means the functionality will be there for other brands / developers – and Facebook itself – to use in other ways.
Yes, Facebook location is coming, and it’s coming soon.
Does this signal the introduction of a venue focused, Foursquare-like check-in service? Or, as MG Siegler believes, will users simply be given the opt-in (or opt-out) option to associate their coordinates with a status update, like how Twitter is currently doing it.
At this point, we don’t know.
It depends on what exactly the word “location” means to Facebook. If it’s mapping to a venue, Facebook will be moving in direct competition with companies like Foursquare, Gowalla, PlacePop, BrightKite, Rummble, Buzzd, etc. But if it means a pin on a map, it might signal a willingness by Facebook to be the infrastructure layer that powers countless other third party developed native Facebook geolocation apps. Kind of like SimpleGeo for Facebook apps.And then there’s the question of whether Facebook sees location as core to its platform.
If Facebook deems location as core to the platform, location would be in the same category of functionality as photos, messaging, and events. Ominously, how many third party apps do you use on Facebook for photos, messaging, and events? If you’re like me, none.
Facebook has decided to o...