We all remember the time when the term "check-in" referred to an announcement of an arrival at a hotel, airport or sea port, only. But now, with the advent of geolocation-enabled apps and social network services, we can “check-in” at a restaurant, mall, even a classroom, a friend’s home, or our own home. By turning on our mobile device’s GPS and tapping the place we’re at from a list when, we index and tag our location and share the experience to our followers and friends.
Geolocation-enabled apps and check-in features are fast becoming a trend when posting online. May it be in the form of a video, photo, post or even a tweet about your status, the information about the location enhances the sharing experience. I have listed here the Top 7 reasons why the UPCC members are fond of checking-in.
7
Since we usually go on tour, away from our families and friends, far, far away from our loved-ones, we update them with our "whereabout" posts. While on-tour, there is a big time difference between home and which ever stop we currently are, hence updating them from our wall post lets them know where are we and how are we doing. Usually in a seven-month long tour with ten countries, 52 cities and 108 concerts, my parents often wonder which stop I am already in.
Post by Gabriel Fojas Villorente.
6
We have been adding a lot of newfound friends and families (host parents) of whom we have been attached to already. Usually we stay 3-5 days per stop, sometimes even longer. Moving from one stop to another requires a long bus ride, perhaps a travel via airplane, or even a long train ride. Checking-in right away once we have arrived to a new stop is one way of reporting to our previous hosts that we arrived safely to the destination they had sent us off to.
Touch down hungary!!! (@ Buszmegálló - Kodály Zoltán Ált. Iskola) http://t.co/yqAj78yy
— Gabriel Villorente (@gfvillorente)
August 15, 2012
Hello Korea!!! Experiencing the 12-hour lay over... :D (@ Incheon International Airport) http://t.co/ASjJPJ6g
— Gabriel Villorente (@gfvillorente)
May 11, 2012
5
We like to make the most of where we are. With the opportunity of going around the most fab/visited/popular tourist place in a particular stop, we like to relish the proud feeling of “I’ve been there.”
4
Some apps would provide information on the places you check-in to. Some people on that network would also post comments and suggestions on what you should try or do. After being able to try what the place has to offer comes the privilege to say: “I’ve done that!"
3
Traveling to do a series of concerts eats up a lot of our time and effort to prepare and rehearse. Catching up through our posts is an efficient way of mass-sending updates to our friends and followers if we don’t have the time to send them longer, more personal updates yet.
Post by Gabriel Fojas Villorente.
2
Techie people in Korus usually compete with one another to be the first one to check-in in particular place. It is more of a friendly competition, but since we usually have a Type "A" personality, we want the buzz to come from us first. Since all of us have common friends and followers we want the idea to be the first one telling our social network where we are and what are we enjoying now. Aside from this, there are apps that reward particular points to the check-in as first time and being the first among your friends to check-in. There are also badges awarded to check-ins that belong to a particular category.
I just unlocked the "JetSetter" badge on @foursquare for checking in at airports! Bon Voyage! http://t.co/5H8f2lnS
— Gabriel Villorente (@gfvillorente)
September 19, 2012
1
We check-in because we want to track our travels, the places that we have been to, save and record the experiences we have in a particular place, thereby incorporating a virtual memory of one's timeline. That, in this sense, creates our portfolio of our travels.
