Foursquare has more than half a million users, 1+ million venues and 15+ million checkins, and is still growing rapidly. According to Experian Hitwise, Facebook acounts for 33% of the upstream to Foursquare, followed by Google and Twitter a with 22% and 8%, respectively, with these top three websites accounting for nearly two-thirds of all traffic. Net net, Foursquare is growing in size and popularity, and is being adopted by already socially-networked users. 

This weekend, a friend posted the message above to Twitter using Foursquare. Checkins almost go unnoticed because of how many we're starting to see on Twitter and Facebook. This one, however, stuck out. But it wasn't the technology platform or the behavior or the push message or the hashtag. Rather, it was his friends attending dinner...You can see he was out with @technokitten, @annagud, @cait_tierney, @olicca and Rob. Not @Rob. Just Rob. He's the odd man out. 

This could suggest that he wasn't known well enough to know his Twitter handle or that he's not a Twitter user. Either way, it shows that our digital identity is beginning to define who we are offline (or at least it's becoming a symbol or identification). It's how we're known to friends (real and digital) and strangers alike. Non-users of pervasive technology platforms will quickly find that they're the odd man out. The person who can't be counted or included.

An example from my life: A few years ago, I stopped using Facebook (I've never been a heavy users). This upset a few of my friends...and not because they were sad I wasn't posting photos or status updates. It was because they couldn't include me in invites to events. So, if they wanted to have a BBQ on a Saturday, they could invite nearly everyone via an event invite on Facebook, except me. For me, they'd have to send an email or text message. Not a huge deal, but you get the point. My non-usage created work for my friends. 

Over time, and as social platforms gain more and more users, I wonder if non-participation will have adverse effects on relationships...