Understanding Facebook Places
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Facebook has launched a new location-based service called Places that allows users to check-in to locations and see where their friends have checked in. Users can check-in to share their location, see who is nearby for potential meetups, and discover new places. When checking in, the user's activity will appear on the specific place page and in their profile feed. Users can also tag friends who are with them at a location. Places has privacy controls and only approved partners like Foursquare and Yelp can publish information to place pages. Questions remain about how Places may impact loyalty programs and whether it could compete with other location-based services.
Understanding Facebook Places
- 1. Facebook Places August 2010Yes, thats a four in a square
- 2. Overview_Up-Front What is it?_Checking InWhats it for?How does it work?_The Place Page_Tagging Friends_Privacy_Partners & the API_Thoughts & Questions1
- 3. Up-frontWhat is it?A location-based service for Facebook
- 4. Only in the US for now, but will be global
- 5. Only on iPhoneapp, or touch website (for Android
- 6. BB &Android apps to come, but no timeline2
- 7. Checking InWhats it for?There are three main use cases:Share where you are: leave a trail and create a timeline of your lifeSee who is around you for serendipitous encountersDiscover new places3
- 8. Checking InHow does it work?4Start of with a list of Friend check-ins sorted by nearby and elsewhereSee a list of nearby places places appear by proximity but also by what Facebook thinks you likeTap on a place and tap to check inSee a preview of the story and select AllowCreates a new story on the Place Page and a story in your feed
- 9. The Place PageWhats on a Place Page and how do you create one? If the place isnt there, you can add a place from the app
- 10. Each place will have its own page with a news feed, Recent Activity - you can comment & like everything
- 11. There is a facepile that lets you see friends who have been at this place
- 12. The Here Now section lets you see friends (only friends!) who are checked in at the same place5Anyone can report on any place: incorrect info, abusive, permanently closed, duplicate
- 13. Tagging FriendsHow does that work? (Heres where it gets a bit tricky)Tap Tag Friends With YouGet a preview of story andA notice to Allow or Not Now6If you clicked Not Now"It acts like a status tag (@friend)The post shows up..On your friends wallIn the recent activity on the Place Page It does not show up On your profileYou do not appear in the Here Now or "Friends Who Have Visited"If you clicked AllowThe post shows up on your wallThe post shows up in recent activity on the Place PageYou appear in the Here Now section and Friends Who Have Visited" section It's like you checked yourself in justanother way of doing that. So you can't check someone in without publishing that you are there too.
- 14. PrivacyWhat are the default settings?For Check-ins:Visible to friends onlyYou can always remove any check-in For Here Now: Only shows up if you tap AllowAutomatically defaulted to off if any of your other settings are lower than friends of friendsFor TaggingYou can only tag friendsYou can only tag friends while you are checking inYou're notified whenever you're taggedYou can always remove any tag 7Oryou can completely opt out of letting friends tag you.
- 15. Partners and the APIWho are they and what are they doing?The APIThe Read API lets you: pull check-ins, friends check-ins, info about a place page
- 16. The Write API lets you: publish to Places, and search Places
- 17. Only select partners can publish to Places: Gowalla, Foursquare, Yelp and Booya8
- 18. Thoughts & QuestionsPublic Spaces + Community: Physical reality comes alive with human stories we've told there a sort of digital sign-post
- 19. There could be a page of our collective memory of an experience (a concert etc..) or a place
- 20. WHAT ABOUT THEDEALS? How will this effect loyalty programs?
- 21. Can you check into entertainment or a viewing event? (the answer is no, but its an interesting question)
- 22. Will this kill foursquare?9