Gowalla: Difference between revisions
Locos epraix (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
I deleted "active" from the description of user numbers on Gowalla, since the reference (number 2) states "Gowalla, with 600,000 members..."; this implies total usership, not active users. |
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| alexa = {{decrease}} 7,653 ({{as of|2011|11|2|alt=November 2011}})<ref name="alexa">{{cite web|url= http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/gowalla.com |title= Gowalla.com Site Info | publisher= [[Alexa Internet]] |accessdate= 2011-11-02 }}</ref><!--Updated monthly by OKBot.--> |
| alexa = {{decrease}} 7,653 ({{as of|2011|11|2|alt=November 2011}})<ref name="alexa">{{cite web|url= http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/gowalla.com |title= Gowalla.com Site Info | publisher= [[Alexa Internet]] |accessdate= 2011-11-02 }}</ref><!--Updated monthly by OKBot.--> |
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'''Gowalla''' is a location-based [[social network]]. Users '[[Check-in#Social check-in|check in]]' at ''Spots'' in their local vicinity, either through a dedicated mobile application or through the mobile website. As a reward users will sometimes receive virtual "items" from check-ins. Items have developed to become a promotional tool for the game's partners, e.g. [[Incase Designs|Incase]]. As of November 2010 there were approximately 600,000 |
'''Gowalla''' is a location-based [[social network]]. Users '[[Check-in#Social check-in|check in]]' at ''Spots'' in their local vicinity, either through a dedicated mobile application or through the mobile website. As a reward users will sometimes receive virtual "items" from check-ins. Items have developed to become a promotional tool for the game's partners, e.g. [[Incase Designs|Incase]]. As of November 2010 there were approximately 600,000 users.<ref>{{cite news | first=Jon | last=Swartz | title=The latest from Gowalla is worth checking out | url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/12/the-latest-from-gowalla-is-worth-checking-out/1 | work=[[USAToday]] | accessdate=2 December 2010}}</ref> |
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At the start of December 2009 it was reported that Gowalla had raised $8.4 million in a round of [[venture capital]] funding led by [[Greylock Partners]] and [[angel investors]] [[Chris Sacca]], [[Kevin Rose]] and [[Jason Calacanis]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Caroline | last=McCarthy | coauthors= |authorlink= | title=Geolocation wars heat up: Gowalla raises $8.4 million | date=2009-12-09 | publisher= | url =http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10412262-36.html | work =[[CNET]] | pages = | accessdate = 2009-12-26 | language = }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Lori | last=Hawkins | coauthors= |authorlink= | title=Gowalla raises $8.4 million to expand in Austin | date=2009-12-10 | publisher= | url =http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/technology/2009/12/10/1210gowalla.html | work =[[Statesman.com]] | pages = | accessdate = 2009-12-26 | language = }}</ref> It was acquired by Facebook on December 2, 2011, for an undisclosed sum <ref name="GWBLOG-10-01-28">{{cite web |url=http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/02/technology/gowalla_facebook/ |title=Facebook buys Gowalla |author= |date=2011-12-03 |publisher= |accessdate=18 March 2010}}</ref> Gowalla, Inc. is based in [[Downtown Austin|Downtown]] [[Austin, Texas]].<ref>"[http://gowalla.com/terms Terms]." Gowalla. Retrieved on December 5, 2011. "610 W 5th Suite 604 Austin, TX 78701"</ref> |
At the start of December 2009 it was reported that Gowalla had raised $8.4 million in a round of [[venture capital]] funding led by [[Greylock Partners]] and [[angel investors]] [[Chris Sacca]], [[Kevin Rose]] and [[Jason Calacanis]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Caroline | last=McCarthy | coauthors= |authorlink= | title=Geolocation wars heat up: Gowalla raises $8.4 million | date=2009-12-09 | publisher= | url =http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10412262-36.html | work =[[CNET]] | pages = | accessdate = 2009-12-26 | language = }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Lori | last=Hawkins | coauthors= |authorlink= | title=Gowalla raises $8.4 million to expand in Austin | date=2009-12-10 | publisher= | url =http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/technology/2009/12/10/1210gowalla.html | work =[[Statesman.com]] | pages = | accessdate = 2009-12-26 | language = }}</ref> It was acquired by Facebook on December 2, 2011, for an undisclosed sum <ref name="GWBLOG-10-01-28">{{cite web |url=http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/02/technology/gowalla_facebook/ |title=Facebook buys Gowalla |author= |date=2011-12-03 |publisher= |accessdate=18 March 2010}}</ref> Gowalla, Inc. is based in [[Downtown Austin|Downtown]] [[Austin, Texas]].<ref>"[http://gowalla.com/terms Terms]." Gowalla. Retrieved on December 5, 2011. "610 W 5th Suite 604 Austin, TX 78701"</ref> |
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Revision as of 13:10, 25 December 2011
 | |
Type of site | Social Networking |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | , |
| Key people | Josh Williams, Scott Raymond |
| Employees | 30 |
| URL | gowalla |
| Launched | 2007 |
Gowalla is a location-based social network. Users 'check in' at Spots in their local vicinity, either through a dedicated mobile application or through the mobile website. As a reward users will sometimes receive virtual "items" from check-ins. Items have developed to become a promotional tool for the game's partners, e.g. Incase. As of November 2010 there were approximately 600,000 users.[2]
At the start of December 2009 it was reported that Gowalla had raised $8.4 million in a round of venture capital funding led by Greylock Partners and angel investors Chris Sacca, Kevin Rose and Jason Calacanis.[3][4] It was acquired by Facebook on December 2, 2011, for an undisclosed sum [5] Gowalla, Inc. is based in Downtown Austin, Texas.[6]
Overview
Gowalla is a primarily mobile web application that allows users to check in to locations that they visit using their mobile device. This is achieved either through the use of dedicated applications available on Google Android, iPhone, Palm WebOS and BlackBerry, or via m.gowalla.com. There is currently no way of checking in through the standard website. Check-ins can be pushed via Notifications to iPhones, and by linking accounts, to Twitter and Facebook.
"Trips", which as of January 2010 [5] can be made by any user, link up to 20 related spots, falling into categories such as Nature Hikes or Pub Crawls.
Spots and Trips can be "featured" by Gowalla, and with this comes a special status and icon, along with being highlighted on the website. Featured spots tend to be local landmarks such as Buckingham Palace in London, while featured Trips are chosen for being "unique and exciting".[5]
Prior to version 4 of the mobile app released on 22 September 2011, upon checking in users may have received virtual "Items" as a bonus and these could be swapped or dropped at Spots. Users became "Founders" of a spot by dropping an item there. Items used to form a key feature within the game and each user had a vault into which they could place items they want to keep forever. Since this update, items and the user's vault are not the focus of the application and are in fact totally removed from the user experience. There was widespread user backlash resulting from this decision.[7]
On December 2, 2010, Gowalla released version 3.0 for the iPhone 4, allowing Gowalla users to check in using Foursquare, Facebook Places, Twitter and Tumblr, or view friends' check-ins from other services.[8]
As of the 7th of March 2011 the Android version of Gowalla was released. This allowed the same features that applied to the iPhone 4 to be used on Android phones; it also updated the interface dramatically to introduce a new "Passport" look.[9]
The acquisition of Gowalla by Facebook was announced on 2 December 2011.[10] Gowalla, as a service, will shut down at the end of January. Facebook will not acquire Gowalla’s user data.[11]
Street Team
Within the Gowalla community, certain users have an elevated status above that of normal users. Whereas every user can create a spot and maintain its details, members of the Street Team are able to move and edit any unlocked spots. This includes the ability to merge duplicate spots.
Awards
Gowalla won the Mobile category in the 2010 South by Southwest Interactive awards.[12]
See also
{{{inline}}}
Other Services
- Brightkite
- Facebook Places
- Fire Eagle
- foursquare
- Gbanga
- Geoloqi
- Google Latitude
- Hotlist
- Loopt
- Koprol
- Scvngr
- Socialight
External links
References
- ^ "Gowalla.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
- ^ Swartz, Jon. "The latest from Gowalla is worth checking out". USAToday. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
- ^ McCarthy, Caroline (2009-12-09). "Geolocation wars heat up: Gowalla raises $8.4 million". CNET. Retrieved 2009-12-26.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Hawkins, Lori (2009-12-10). "Gowalla raises $8.4 million to expand in Austin". Statesman.com. Retrieved 2009-12-26.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c "Facebook buys Gowalla". 2011-12-03. Retrieved 18 March 2010. Cite error: The named reference "GWBLOG-10-01-28" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Terms." Gowalla. Retrieved on December 5, 2011. "610 W 5th Suite 604 Austin, TX 78701"
- ^ http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/09/22/gowalla-updated-to-version-4-0-removes-features-adds-force-closes/
- ^ Chartier, David. "Gowalla 3.0 Unites Facebook, Foursquare Check-ins". Retrieved 2 December 2010.
- ^ "Gowalla 3 for Android finally out".
- ^ Kincaid, Jason (2 December 2011). "Report: Facebook Has Acquired Gowalla". TechCrunch. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ Josh Williams (5 December). "Gowalla is Going to Facebook". Gowalla. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Richmond, Shane (2010-03-18). "SXSW 2010: The changing face of the web". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 March 2010.