Gowalla
Encyclopedia
Gowalla is a location-based social network
. Users 'check in' at Spots in their local vicinity, either through a dedicated mobile application or through the mobile website. As a reward users will sometimes receive virtual "items" from check-ins. Items have developed to become a promotional tool for the game's partners, e.g. Incase
. As of November 2010 there were approximately 600,000 active users.
At the start of December 2009 it was reported that Gowalla had raised $8.4 million in a round of venture capital
funding led by Greylock Partners and angel investors Chris Sacca
, Kevin Rose
and Jason Calacanis
.
, Palm WebOS and BlackBerry
, or via m.gowalla.com. There is currently no way of checking in through the standard website. Check-ins can be pushed via Notifications to iPhones, and by linking accounts, to Twitter
and Facebook
.
"Trips", which as of January 2010 can be made by any user, link up to 20 related spots, falling into categories such as Nature Hikes or Pub Crawls.
Spots and Trips can be "featured" by Gowalla, and with this comes a special status and icon, along with being highlighted on the website. Featured spots tend to be local landmarks such as Buckingham Palace
in London, while featured Trips are chosen for being "unique and exciting".
Prior to version 4 of the mobile app released on 22nd September 2011, upon checking in users may have received virtual "Items" as a bonus and these could be swapped or dropped at Spots. Users became "Founders" of a spot by dropping an item there. Items used to form a key feature within the game and each user had a vault into which they could place items they want to keep forever. Since this update, items and the user's vault are not the focus of the application and are in fact totally removed from the user experience. There was widespread user backlash resulting from this decision.
On December 2, 2010, Gowalla released version 3.0 for the iPhone 4, allowing Gowalla users to check in using Foursquare, Facebook Places, Twitter and Tumblr, or view friends' check-ins from other services.
As of the 7th of March 2011 the Android version of Gowalla was released. This allowed the same features that applied to the iPhone 4 to be used on Android phones; it also updated the interface dramatically to introduce a new "Passport" look.
Other Services
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
. Users 'check in' at Spots in their local vicinity, either through a dedicated mobile application or through the mobile website. As a reward users will sometimes receive virtual "items" from check-ins. Items have developed to become a promotional tool for the game's partners, e.g. Incase
Incase Designs
Incase Designs is a manufacturer of iPod, MacBook, iPhone, iPad, and guitar cases. Founded in 1997 by four longtime friends. Incase created the first iPod case for Apple Inc....
. As of November 2010 there were approximately 600,000 active users.
At the start of December 2009 it was reported that Gowalla had raised $8.4 million in a round of venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
funding led by Greylock Partners and angel investors Chris Sacca
Chris Sacca
Christopher Sacca is a venture investor, public speaker, private equity adviser, and former employee of Google Inc. He is an investor in Twitter.-Education:...
, Kevin Rose
Kevin Rose
Kevin Rose is an American Internet entrepreneur who co-founded Revision3, Digg, Pownce, and Milk...
and Jason Calacanis
Jason Calacanis
Jason McCabe Calacanis is an American Internet entrepreneur and blogger. His first company was part of the dot-com era in New York, and his second venture, Weblogs, Inc., capitalized on the growth of blogs before being sold to AOL....
.
Overview
Gowalla is a primarily mobile web application that allows users to check in to locations that they visit using their mobile device. This is achieved either through the use of dedicated applications available on Google Android, iPhoneIPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, Palm WebOS and BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
, or via m.gowalla.com. There is currently no way of checking in through the standard website. Check-ins can be pushed via Notifications to iPhones, and by linking accounts, to Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
"Trips", which as of January 2010 can be made by any user, link up to 20 related spots, falling into categories such as Nature Hikes or Pub Crawls.
Spots and Trips can be "featured" by Gowalla, and with this comes a special status and icon, along with being highlighted on the website. Featured spots tend to be local landmarks such as Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
in London, while featured Trips are chosen for being "unique and exciting".
Prior to version 4 of the mobile app released on 22nd September 2011, upon checking in users may have received virtual "Items" as a bonus and these could be swapped or dropped at Spots. Users became "Founders" of a spot by dropping an item there. Items used to form a key feature within the game and each user had a vault into which they could place items they want to keep forever. Since this update, items and the user's vault are not the focus of the application and are in fact totally removed from the user experience. There was widespread user backlash resulting from this decision.
On December 2, 2010, Gowalla released version 3.0 for the iPhone 4, allowing Gowalla users to check in using Foursquare, Facebook Places, Twitter and Tumblr, or view friends' check-ins from other services.
As of the 7th of March 2011 the Android version of Gowalla was released. This allowed the same features that applied to the iPhone 4 to be used on Android phones; it also updated the interface dramatically to introduce a new "Passport" look.
Street Team
Within the Gowalla community, certain users have an elevated status above that of normal users. Whereas every user can create a spot and maintain its details, members of the Street Team are able to move and edit any unlocked spots. This includes the ability to merge duplicate spots.See also
- Geosocial NetworkingGeosocial networkingGeosocial Networking is a type of social networking in which geographic services and capabilities such as geocoding and geotagging are used to enable additional social dynamics. User-submitted location data or geolocation techniques can allow social networks to connect and coordinate users with...
- Location-based serviceLocation-based serviceA Location-Based Service is an information or entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device....
Other Services
- BrightkiteBrightkiteBrightkite is a location-based social networking website that is available on any mobile device. Users "check in" at places by using text messaging or one of the mobile applications and they can see who is nearby and who has been there before. The service was created in 2007 by Brady Becker, Martin...
- Facebook Places
- Fire EagleFire EagleFire Eagle is a Yahoo! owned service that acts as a store for a user's location. It was created at Yahoo Brickhouse by a team which included among others Tom Coates, Simon Willison, and Seth Fitzsimmons....
- foursquareFoursquare (service)Foursquare, stylized as foursquare, is a location-based social networking website for mobile devices, such as smartphones. Users "check-in" at venues using a mobile website, text messaging or a device-specific application by selecting from a list of venues the application locates nearby...
- GbangaGbangaGbanga is a mixed reality, social gaming platform for mobile phones developed by Zurich-based startup, Millform AG. The platform runs on real-time locative media, developed in-house, which means that the gaming environment changes relative to the players real-world location...
- GeoloqiGeoloqiGeoloqi is a private, real-time mobile and web platform for securely sharing location data, with mobile apps available on iPhone and Android. Geoloqi can track a user’s location at all times, and use this data to provide various services. A user can leave himself a note to receive when he gets to a...
- Google LatitudeGoogle LatitudeGoogle Latitude is a location-aware mobile app developed by Google as a successor to their earlier SMS-based service Dodgeball. Latitude allows a mobile phone user to allow certain people to view their current location. Via their own Google Account, the user's cell phone location is mapped on...
- HotlistHotlistHotlist is a geo-social networking aggregator that enables users to coordinate plans with friends and discover what will be happening at millions of popular venues all over the world...
- LooptLooptLoopt is a company based in Mountain View, California, United States. Loopt produces mobile Location-based services that allow users to discover the world around them, and find and enjoy the friends, places and events around them....
- KoprolKoprolKoprol, since 25 May 2010 called Yahoo! Koprol, is an Indonesian social networking service, allowing users to connect based on location. Mobile users can use the site as a positioning service, without the need for a GPS receiver...
- ScvngrScvngrSCVNGR is a social location-based gaming platform for mobile phones. The application has both a consumer and enterprise component. Companies, educational institutions, and organizations can build challenges, the core unit of their game, at places on SCVNGR from the web. The service also supports SMS...
- SocialightSocialightSocialight is a location-based social media platform that lets people and editorial publishers connect rich media content to real-world physical locations. Its users can create, browse and share virtual "Sticky Notes" tied to any location worldwide...