IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - Spring 2014 - 77

is realized by the software calling a
Foursquare API to locate the device
and user. By drawing on elements
in the device and by networking
with other devices, the code draws
together information that "assembles the location" for the user. The
key components of the device itself
(a-GPS unit, digital clock, 3G sim
card or WiFi connection unit) are
augmented by connection with information held by the company and
with other computational devices
(satellite, internet relay provider, wifi
router) to create a series of connections that allow the location to be
ascertained in real time. In this, there
is a method of locating oneself and
ones device mediated by the device
and its associations.
The code draws information
together from the device to create
a check-in to a specific location.
Initially the device assembles information from the Foursquare database on the user; the identification
number, name, photograph URL,
and gender. This information is a
symbolic representation of the act of
checking-in in regards to the person
that is acting to use the device and
LBSN - a gathering of the person
(or mortal). The database held information on the venue itself is part of
the code - the name of the place and
address, created by a user previous
to this one with the geo-locational
data provided by the a-GPS unit,
the latitudinal and longitudinal data
that is provided by that component
to locate the device.2 In this part of
the check-in, the a-GPS unit of the
iPhone operates in coordination
with 4 or more of the 24 satellites3
in orbit as part of the Global Positioning System to determine the
location of the user and device. The
"call" of the user, for that is in effect

{
checkins:[
{
id:286939,
user:{
id:467,
firstname:'Sarah',
lastname:'Simmons',
photo:'http://foursquare.com/userpix/467_1237171998.jpg',
gender:'female'
},
venue:{
id:44379,
name:'Topshop',
address:'478 Broadway',
crossstreet:'at Broome',
geolat:40.7215,
geolong:-74.0001
},
distance:2382,
display:'Sarah S. @ Topshop',
shout:'Just tried on a dress ...',
created:'Thu, 21 May 09 18:09:22 +0000'
}
]
}
Fig. 1. Foursquare check-in code.

what the user is doing at that place
at that time, is displayed as inputted
at check-in and then held in the database for other users to see at subsequent check-ins.4 This social aspect
of the activity is shared with other
users and can be used as a source of
information on the venue by future
users. Finally, the time of the checkin is another element assembled by
the device. This time stamp is both
given by the device and checked by
the GPS satellites, which the a-GPS
unit in the phone connects with to
ascertain the location of the device
on Earth. This user has made a simple check-in to Foursquare, of visiting Topshop and trying on a dress.
The code acts as part of the event,
and inscribes the event in a database.
The event itself becomes a social
gazetteer for the user and other
users when shared and stored. The
use of the LBSN at that time is also

It should be noted that if one tries to check-in to a
venue too far away from that venue on Foursquare,
the application states that you are too far away
based on the location data provided by a-GPS.
3
Although only three satellites are needed for triangulation, the system uses more to correct any
time errors that may occur in the lag between device and satellite.

Gamification is the use of game mechanics and
game-thinking to solve problems and engage audiences [44]. Some (see [45]) have argued that
gamification is a technique used to coerce, conceal and impress as a sophisticated marketing
technique to get users to use services.

IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

SPRING 2014

indicative of a cartographic desire
on the part of the user: to share and
inscribe the event for others. This
deliberation and consideration for
the place, activity, and audience
is important when considering the
effect of the code on the understanding of the location. The cartographic
desire is indicative of a mediating
effect of the code that invites the
user to not only discover information on their location through the
LBSN, but also contribute and share
that information. This is, of course,
a consequence of the gamification of location that the LBSN creates through the game aspect of the
application.4 The awarding of points
within the "game" of the LBSN can
provide the impetus for the user to
create (or code) a location and mark
that location through a check-in,
and in doing so create information
for others to access on the location
in future.
Foursquare code in this instance
inscribes the presence and activity
of a person at a place at a particular
time. The application must encode
places for this to happen, and in
doing this the application both allows
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - Spring 2014