Quick one as I spend the day meandering my way to the ERE Expo in San Diego, (I know, tough duty, it is expected to snow AGAIN here in Western, NY today).
Last week I finally succumbed to a little peer pressure and signed up for Foursquare. I figured with the increasing number of events I have been attending, I finally had some interesting places to check in to, and to be virtually 'seen'. Even not being on Foursquare until last week, I had seen online evidence of many of my friends and acquaintances far superior social and professional lives and figured it was time for me to get in on some of that action. 'Look at me! I go to cool places too, darn it!' 
But as is the case with many of these delusions of grandeur, the reality has been quite a bit less exciting. If you have the misfortune to be my 'friend' on Foursquare, you have been treated to a steady stream of trips to the gas station, grocery store, and bagel shop. Big fun for sure.
Leaving a digital trail of the mundane is the disappointing and depressing down side of these geo-location apps. But then I stumbled upon a random tweet (apologies, I just can't remember the source), linking to a new kind of geo-location app called 'Situationist', that offers at least the chance to augment the mundane with a bit of the absurd, and the extraordinary.
Here's how the Situationist works:
1. Load the Situationist app onto your iPhone (sorry Android and BlackBerry users), along with a photo
2. When you are in proximity to other users of the Situationist app, you will be notified, and have the chance to interact with the other user in random 'situations' that you choose from a pre-seeded list on the app
3. The 'situations' can be friendly; 'Hug me for five seconds exactly', or slightly more mischievous; 'Let me inspect the contents of your bag for bombs and such.'
4. Users are allowed to request new 'Situations' be added to the app, but each one is vetted and approved before it is pushed out to the app and made available to the community
5. Hilarity and intrigue ensue, as you have random and potentially almost surreal interactions with strangers.
Why is this kind of app interesting, aside from the obvious humor?
Well, I suppose the humor might be the extent of it, but I wonder if there isn't an element of curiosity and faux-danger at play in this kind of technology that has the capacity to elevate the routine to something really fascinating and unique. When I use Foursquare to check-in to the bagel shop, I can be assured the only interesting thing that might happen is that I may suddenly be gifted with a free (small) coffee, or have a brush with really micro celebrity if the (loser) mayor happens to be in the shop when I arrive.
But if I was using the Situationist, or if Foursquare were actually fun, and the trip to the bagel shop was suddenly interrupted with someone wanting me to 'compliment them on their haircut', or to 'give them all the coins in my left front pocket'; well heck, I'd be more likely to show up and check in all over town.
I know what you might be thinking - ewwww!!! No way I would use a geo-location app to encourage creepy strangers to hug me.
You probably are too smart and careful for that. And much too savvy about how much information you openly share on the social web to buy-in to anything so crazy.
Right?
Postscript - I don't actually have an iPhone, so I can't check in anywhere using the Situationist yet. So tomorrow when I finally get to ERE Expo and check in on Foursquare, I am encouraging anyone who sees the check-in to approach me and offer to hug me for five seconds exactly.
Or three seconds if you are a little weird.
Postscript II - How about a recruiting/networking version of the app? One that lets the passive job seeker send out that 'Hey, I am really interested in talking about a new gig, corner over near the bar and let's talk'.