I think the author is kind of missing the point, having not used Foursquare himself. I think you could remove the "broadcast my position to friends" feature and

I think the author is kind of missing the point, having not used Foursquare himself. I think you could remove the "broadcast my position to friends" feature and it would still be useful/fun. It's still cool to become the mayor of the corner coffee shop, or get badges, or see how many other people are checking in at the bars around you. (Note: I am not a Foursquare user either. Maybe I have no clue.)