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Gadgets & Tech | February 17, 2010

Foursquare: "Mayor of North Pole" controversy more about need for recognition than cheating

Alison Cummings' photo
Montreal Social Media Examiner
Foursquare logoFoursquare logo
    Cheating on Foursquare brings out the worst in everyone 
    including that, for some, Social Media is about recognition.

One California man's idle question "Can I become the Mayor of the North Pole?" leads to mixed reactions from Foursquare fans and negative media coverage. 

The ability to cheat on Foursquare is nothing new for the techies out there.  

As Burbank software engineer Jim Bumgardner aka "KrazyDad," tells it on his blog post Mayor of the North Pole, he didn't intend any harm. But the ability to amass mayorships for the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, the Lincoln Memorial, Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal – all without having to leave the comfort of home, proved too tempting.  

And so addictive that he admits transforming from a "responsible father who occasionally plays piano at local open mics, and makes puzzles" into a "12-year-old-hacker."
Admittedly, it is hard not to laugh at his exploits, like creating a false Martha Stewart account with checkins to dollar stores and pawnshops. Even Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley took the experiment in stride, posting an even-handed response in the blog's comment section.
And Bumgardner admits having a great time. "What can I say? It was fun, and foursquare's incentives (badges and mayorships) spurred me on. Incentives invite abuse, even from mild-mannered folks like me."
Such honesty (ironic, yes) makes it hard to side with the stiff reaction of TechCrunch blogger MG Siegel, who comes off sounding like a whiny tattletale. 
In his blog post Man Checks-In Everywhere But Foursquare Rehab, Siegler opens and closes with the same lament that he was ousted as the Mayor of Googleplex Patio.  First reaction: Who is this guy? Last reaction:  "When I saw the guy had ousted me as the mayor of the Googleplex, my immediate response was to want to go there and reclaim it. I'm hardly alone in this."
Ah, competition. Yes, playing fairly is always preferable to cheating. But how about being a poor sport? "KrazyDad" did not set out to beat the system, but to show its weaknesses, all while having some fun. And he set everything to right, eliminating his accounts and offering restitution (even if it was in the form of a "Hotdog-on-a-stick").
Of more concern is the extent to which winning and appearances can become so important. And how, for some, Social Media is all about recognition.
Siegler acknowledges that, "In the past, cheating hasn't been that big of a issue on Foursquare because, well, who cares? The only thing you're doing by cheating is exposing to those who catch you that you're pathetic."
But his tone and choice of words betray that what Siegler cares about is winning.  A lot. Enough to write a post.
Let's hope that Foursquare can address the issues with GPS authentication, especially given the increasing amount of exposure with new partnerships, and awards (free pizza!) associated with unlocking badges and Mayorships.

For more information:
Confessions of a Foursquare cheater
Foursquare announces Olympic partnership with The New York Times
Foursquare Signs a Deal With Zagat
Foursquare Goes Mainstream, Teams With Bravo TV 
Foursquare's Twist on Facebook: A Reward for Checking In

 
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Alison Cummings is a Web Strategy consultant and Social Media blogger based in Montreal. You can find her on Twitter @alisoncummings and Facebook.

 

 

 

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Montreal Social Media Examiner

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Comments

  • Carol Roach, Montreal Mental Health Examiner 1 year ago
    Report Abuse

    interesting, I never heard of foursquare
    btw I have a second column here now, besides Montreal mental health examiner I am also the Montreal health examiner, please subscribe, thank you

  • Jeff Ballweg 1 year ago
    Report Abuse

    Wherever you create incentives that people want, people will find ways to game the system to get them. If Foursquare had a credibility layer, it would limit cheating and encourage constructive participation - making the service more useful. It’s economics at work. I wrote a blog post about the pros and cons on my website, JeffBallweg.com.

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