Foursquare changes up badge tweets; badges no longer a secret
Ever since the beginning of foursquare, it’s been somewhat of a secret how you unlock the badges. The idea was that they should be a serendipitous experience, unlocked when you were least expecting them. A number of people have developed their own badge lists describing how to unlock each one, but for the most part, foursquare remained tight lipped. With the more recent expertise and city badges they’ve been more open, but unlock rules for many of the others were still officially a secret (a poorly kept secret, but a secret nonetheless).
This afternoon, though, they’ve changed the tweet text for many of the foursquare badges (but not the partner badges) to explain exactly why users are getting these badges. They now say things like “I just unlocked the “Flame Broiled” badge on @foursquare for checking in to burger joints!” or “I just unlocked the “Explorador Porteño” Buenos Aires city badge on @foursquare!”
No longer are the badges just cute little names for your friends to read (and be annoyed by). The text actually explains why you earned the badge and could help to elevate your expertise level in their eyes, instead of just being inside jokes among foursquare users.
What do you think of the change?
