Foursquare users swarm to the San Diego earthquake venue

Foursquare users are always finding creative ways to use that service that go well beyond what the founders originally envisioned. Last night saw one of the more unique ways when almost 150 people checked into a venue quickly created to mark the magnitude 5.7 earthquake that shook Southern California.

Twitter went down at the time of the earthquake, but Foursquare was up and running so users flocked to it to let their friends know they’d just felt the earthquake. Enough people checked in that a swarm badge was unlocked in the process.

Foursquare is becoming more and more a way for users to share what they’re doing and feeling with their friends instead of just their locations. With users able to create venues as they see fit, it’s likely we’ll see more “venues” like this as Foursquare grows.

Thanks to @timbrice17 for the tip!