Reddit is sharpening its social networking skills with a new Foursquare partnership, allowing users to add location tags to their posts.
Foursquare already has deals in place with many social platforms including Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat, and the new partnership with Reddit further broadens its reach.
Foursquare Reddit Location Tags
The new feature will roll out to the Reddit mobile apps, enabling users to share their real-time location powered by Foursquare's location directory. Many Reddit posts may not even need a location tag, but some users might appreciate the option. The location tag may be as specific as a particular venue or as broad as a city or a country.
Reddit mobile users who have location services enabled on their device will see a drop-down menu feature showing nearby locations. Users can also search for the places they'd like to tag. Those worried about compromising their anonymity need not worry, as the whole location tag feature is not the new default, and it's not mandatory.
Don't Panic, It's Completely Optional
Users get to choose whether they want to add a location tag to their posts, but one would not appear automatically. This way, Redditors who just want to surf without giving any clues to their location can easily do so.
Other social networks have been offering the option to tag locations for years now, so Reddit is just catching up with the trend as it continues to refine its user experience. Not too long ago, Reddit also introduced profile pages for users, somewhat resembling user profiles on other social networks such as Facebook or Twitter.
With the addition of location tags, Reddit is starting to look even more like Twitter and Facebook, which some users might not appreciate. Most Reddit users go on the site anonymously, and many might prefer keeping their privacy rather than trading it for a geotag location. For this reason, Foursquare highlights that the option to add location tags is opt-in, and users don't have to use it if they don't want to.
No Data Stored Or Shared
"Location tags are completely optional, making it possible for redditors to keep their profile private, anonymous and detail-free," Mike Harkey, Foursquare VP of Business Development, explains in a Medium blog post. "Users never have to select a location, and neither Reddit nor Foursquare will store or share that data."
For users who do opt-in, the location tagging feature could prove useful in a number of scenarios. Those who share a photo of a bar, for instance, can also share its location. Those who are reporting from a major event, a protest, or another such site could also find it useful to add a location tag so that others know where it's at.
All in all, the new Reddit location tagging feature aims to add more options and enrich the user experience, and the best thing about it is that it's not mandatory by any means. The feature is rolling out now to Reddit mobile apps and should soon become available to all users.
Would you use a location tag on Reddit? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
