Sem fronteiras para o check-in: computação ubíqua, hibridizações e o aplicativo Foursquare

Abstract

Information technology is present in many different areas of contemporary life. As embedded part of social, economic and cultural systems, software influences the way people interact with each other and with the environment. Ubiquitous computing has challenged the research in communication technologies to rethink many of the traditional definitions in the area. Computer programs for content creating and editing provide the hybridization between different formats, languages and aesthetics, what engenders new media species. The boundaries between user and producer of content, men and machines, 'physical' space and "virtual" dimension have also become increasingly fluid, or even nonexistent. Furthermore, the possibilities of sensory-cognitive expansion offered by communication technologies have led researchers to question even the concept of "human being." This work discusses some of the social changes brought about by ubiquitous computing, from the perspective of software studies. The application for smartphones Foursquare was the subject of an empirical study, done from interviews with its users. In the approach, issues such as space exploration from mobile communication devices, interaction between users, recommendations on the internet and gamification were discussed. The results point to a reality in which people not only choose which kinds of media they want to consume, but customize the use of the tools available, in order to give them an unique and personalized utility.