• The New York Times, Thursday, August 19, 2010 1:27 PM

Putting aside (at least, directly) the vast economic opportunities associated with Foursquare, The New York Times investigates the most basic human instincts driving its 2.5 million users. "While Foursquare has been talked about in corporate boardrooms as the next big thing in social media... it has also spawned a more trivial pursuit: a petty and vicious battle over virtual pieces of turf," writes The Times.

Regarding the first time one 21-year-old user was anointed the "mayor" of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, she tells The Times: "Being the mayor of a major bridge -- how cool is that?" So cool, in fact, that "Strangers are locked in bitter rivalries," says the paper. "Workplaces have been carved up into virtual battlefields. College campuses have become factionalized. Even some homes have become social media minefields." Ironically enough, Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley says the idea for becoming a "mayor" came out of a passing joke. "Not bad for a feature that was never part of the original concept for Foursquare," notes The Times.

Read the whole story at The New York Times »