Experiences with Geographical Collaborative Systems: Playfulness in Geosocial Networks and Geocaching

Abstract

Playful geosocial services are being used more and more widely, yet we still don’t understand people’s experiences with them. With wide-ranging privacy issues and enormous choice between rival services, it is important to understand this area. We present the methodology and results of a study delving into experiences with a GPS-based scavenger hunt, geocaching, and a geosocial network, Gowalla. We highlight similarities and differences, noting particularly the importance of ‘hidden communities’ and a strong contrast in terms of ‘being versus doing’. We describe variations in types of playfulness within each service.