The Last Taboo

Most of us have noticed geo-location is the hot thing among web apps right now. Both FourSquare and Gowalla have a strong user base, and continue to grow. Meanwhile, both are striking up intelligent business deals. FourSquare has made deals with big names like Bravo, Zagat, and The New York Times, while Gowalla has InCase (the iPhone case maker) and recently picked up the Travel Channel. While these real-time location-based services have raised privacy concerns with some folks, the idea is seemingly becoming a more accepted practice. That isn’t to say everyone has accepted it, PleaseRobMe.com displays recent location-based check-ins, pointing out an empty home ready for ransacking. My problem with PleaseRobMe is that I know tons of people who leave their homes from around, oh I don’t know, 9AM to 5PM every Monday through Friday.

So what about new websites that push for our seemingly last taboo: money? Blippy.com, which recently came out of private-beta, is a web application that allows users to link their credit/debit cards as well as accounts on iTunes, Amazon, Zappos, Woot, and more. Swipely has also recently popped up on the radar as a social purchasing site, although currently in closed beta. These sites display your purchases publicly (or privately, if you so choose) which allows your friends to view, like, and comment on your purchases. I’ve noticed Blippy has been a bigger comfort hurdle for users to get over than, say, FourSquare. That being said, Blippy has a rather active community, intelligent co-founders, and $1.73 Million in funding. Personally, I see them as one of the more versatile startups around right now. By versatile, I mean the domains they could potentially expand into are insane. Personal finance and capital management? Check. Purchase recommendations? Check. And, more interestingly, a “check-in”-free FourSquare? Check.

An intriguing point to consider, as we ease into a digital comfort-zone, is Facebook Beacon. In 2007, Facebook partnered up with a handful of online retailers to post their user’s recent purchases into the Facebook stream. Many users were outraged, boycotting these retailers, Beacon, and Facebook as a whole. Granted, the opt-out process of Beacon was confusing, but the point is, users weren’t happy with the idea in general, and Beacon was shut down in 2009. Now, only months after Beacon being closed for good, social purchase stream sites have users voluntarily joining (and being happy about it).

So, as we grow closer and closer to becoming a totally cashless society, do sites like Blippy and Swipely have a place? For these sites, and even already established online finance sites like Mint.com, the banks are the bottleneck. I’m hoping that the popularity of these services will encourage banks to step up their online presence and eventually create beautiful and secure bank APIs for developers. As I said, we know Foursquare and Gowalla are becoming more and more popular, and Blipppy/Swipely aren’t totally embraced services yet, but I don’t think they should be overlooked in the check-in game. The kind of data available for restaurant and bar owners is more interesting too; if these establishments begin offering specials to the “mayors,” imagine what they’d do for the “big spenders”.