User-Generated Map & Meaning Making via Foursquare

Presented by Glen Farrelly

Sense of Place

Foursquare

User-generated Content

Method

Contextual Inquiry

Findings

Foursquare User TypesThe CuriousWants to see what’s going on

The NarcissistPublishes vanity information

The GamerStrives for honours & titles

The AdvocatePromotes socio-political causes

The ProfessionalFurthers their business goals

The CartographerAdds & helps define places

The Socializer Seeks to make & communicate with friends

The ExplorerFinds new places & offerings

Citizen Cartographers

Geography as Statement

What’s on the Map?• Communal events • Personal narratives

• Consumer advice • Protests

• Expressions • Rants

• Histories • Redundancies

• Narcissism • Spam

• Incomprehensible mutterings

• Statements of the obvious

Layers of Meaning

Conclusion

Further Information• Elwood, S. (2006). Critical Issues in participatory GIS: Deconstructions,

reconstructions, and new research directions. Transactions in GIS, 10(5), 693-708.

• Holtzblatt, K., & Jones, S. (1993). Contextual inquiry: A participatory technique for system design. In D. Schuler & A. Namioka (Eds.), Participatory design: Principles and practices (pp. 177-210). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Schwarzer, M. (2010, June). A sense of place, a world of augmented reality. Places. Retrieved from http://places.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=13618

• Tulloch, D. L. (2007). Many, many maps: Empowerment and online participatory mapping. First Monday, 12(2). Retrieved from http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1620/1535

• Zickuhr, K., & Smith, A. (2010). 4% of online Americans use location-based services. Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Location-based-services.aspx