Location-based Platforms

When this topic was assigned and brought up in class I didn’t really know what a location based platform is so I am sure that there are some of you out there that had the same question of what it is. So I quickly pulled up the browser and searched for the definition. “A LBSN does not only mean adding a location to an existing social network so that people in the social structure can share location-embedded information, but also consists of the new social structure made up of individuals connected by the interdependency derived from their locations in the physical world as well as their location-tagged media content, such as photos, video, and texts. Here, the physical location consists of the instant location of an individual at a given timestamp and the location history that an individual has accumulated in a certain period. Further, the interdependency includes not only that two persons co-occur in the same physical location or share similar location histories but also the knowledge, e.g., common interests, behavior, and activities, inferred from an individual’s location (history) and location-tagged data.”

Social Media has changed how we communicate now a days. When the social networks like Myspace, Twitter, and Facebook came about people gradually learned how to use the network in their life to make that part of communication a lot easier and not as much effort to be put into the task of communicating with other people whether it be making a phone call to your mom or a distant relative, or even writing a letter to someone across the country. We can now get onto our cellular devices or computers and quickly type an instant message to someone through these different based platforms. It kind of has destroyed how important it is to have face to face communication because that kind of interaction is key in developing long lasting true connection with another person. Also letters express how much you really do care about that person because you have taken that time to sit down and write a letter and send it off.  

A location based service is a software application for a mobile device that requires knowledge about where the mobile device is located. Foursquare has had a long running perception being a fun mobile app to use when checking in to a physical location. It gives you the ability to unlock badges as check ins occur and the potential to become Mayor of a venue. “The development and ubiquity of location-aware mobile devices gave social media possibility to integrate location with content created users. There are different models that the networks are based on. What most of the networks have in common is ‘checking-in’ – the act of sharing one’s location (verified by positioning system) with social network, public, or individuals and have access to location broadcasted by their friends. Many LBSNs use elements of gamification to engage audiences and create incentives for users. Other ways to attract users are often coupons or discounts used in pull or push way.”

http://geoawesomeness.com/knowledge-base/location-based-services/location-based-services-applications/

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/lbsn/