I’ve been on FourSquare now for about 3 months.  I use it fairly frequently, averaging about a check-in per day.  Honestly, to this point, I have derived zero value from it.  I use it purely because I believe it has HUGE potential and I want to be there when it lives up to that potential.  If you live in NYC or SF there may be enough people using the service that you occasionally run in to a friend or meet someone because of the service.  However, in most places, I think it hasn’t reached its tipping point yet.  But, as I learned yesterday, it’s getting close.

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I almost shook a hand because of FourSquare.  I went down to the Starbucks on 14th and Carson for a cup of coffee and to do some work.  I had a lot to accomplish yesterday and was quickly up to my eye balls in an Enterprise Architecture for a client.  Two hours later when I came up for air I realized, I haven’t checked in.  I pulled out my phone and checked in and saw that there WAS someone in the “recently checked in here” window.  In fact I remembered the guy, he had been sitting right next to me but had left not 10 minutes before.  It turns out (based on his twitter page) that he’s a freelance web developer and fairly active/funny tweeter.  Had I checked in moments before, FourSquare may have actually lived up to its potential and caused me to meet someone new.

These are exciting times for the location based social tools like FourSquare and Gowalla.  I’m looking forward to the first time I actually do use them to their potential.  Towards that end, if you’re a FourSquare user (player?) in either Charlotte or Pittsburgh, friend me.