Location is the hot topic in social networking. With FourSquare and Gowalla as early leaders (Facebook will respond shortly), location-based social networks are the next logical progression in social media. The concept is simple: you “check in” to physical locations on your mobile phone and let your social network know where you are located. In theory, this blurs your physical and virtual identities, a dream for marketers.
In a learning context, location-based social networking could be quite valuable. Let’s say an employee of IBM is working on a project in Jordan. If she has a reasonably complete profile on her networking site, she will, by checking in to a city/client’s office, be presented with a list of others who have worked there in the past or have existing relationships with the client. Identity and expertise trails of this type are potentially valuable. With growing information complexity, it’s important for organizations to know who knows what…and to facilitate connections between those who know and those who need.