FourSquare and GoWalla are the talk of the town in Austin this week, but I'm really not interested.
A few months ago, Holly and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in San Francisco. We stayed at a nice hotel and ate at very nice restaurants. Each time, I checked in (usually when she wasn't looking). After a while, though, I started thinking about how this looked to the people following me.
To me, I was celebrating a huge milestone with the person I love, blowing through years of saved up hotel points and money. To anyone that followed me, I was a rich dick, staying at a hotel with butler service and eating at extravagant restaurants.
The more I thought about it, the more I didn't like the impression that I gave out. I hated it, in fact.
Flash forward a few weeks. I'm at Whole Foods and I check in. As soon as I push the button, I think about how boring as hell that probably looks. Watch out, Scott's at Whole Foods - how totally unexciting.
What I came to realize is that, when it comes to checking in at places, there is no middle ground. You're either boring or a rich dick.
So I've all but stopped checking in. I've stopped telling people where I am.
Groucho Marx once said 'I wouldn't join a club that would have me as a member.' If there is something really cool going on, hopefully I'll be invited. If not, I just don't care that much to be there.
