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Whether you’re confused by it or already checked-in, Foursquare is gaining massive popularity in America and catching on fast in Europe. Here’s why: It gives relevance on the social web to bricks & mortar, people and physical activity – where SecondLife is about virtual friends in virtual coffee houses, Foursquare is about a real friend in a real coffee shop. At Punktilio we’ve found it wholly addictive and are convinced that big things will morph and develop from here.

So what is the point? Well, beyond the fun of any challenge or prize, there’s bragging rights: users enjoy being recognized as the king barfly of their local, or the biggest nerd in the college library. And I took a huge sense of pride in naming a certain postcode after my nephew. Then there’s real-life connectivity: I ventured into a new pub this weekend, logged in, and bizarrely found two of my friends were having a pint over the road, so I ventured across and joined them. And there’s the recommendations part; I visited my Sister’s flower shop, logged in and posted a ‘Tip’ for other members, stating that I thought this flower shop ”had great staff, brilliant selections and was well priced! Very useful

All of this may still sound like aimless time wasting (or fun) but there’s a serious side too: Foursquare (and competitors) will be the loyalty cards of tomorrow. As Smart-phone adoption becomes the norm, customers won’t need to remember a fistful of Tesco, Café Nero and HMV cards; they’ll log in for the tenth time and get their free coffee or 20% off – and, I suspect, that’s just the starting point.

But, back to the bragging rights: Punktilio were Jedi Masters on Foursquare last week: I was ranked #1 user in Birmingham, and our Lola really laid it down when she took the crown for all of London last week.

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