Being someone who's trying to live by something close Alex's mantra with my startup (CloudFab, in the digital manufacturing space), I actually think all those companies (Fb, Tw, 4sq) provide very societally valuable things.
How awesome is it that I can talk to old friends on Facebook (which does lead to in-person convo!), get great socially-vetted info on Twitter, or find local tips on Foursquare when traveling.
Okay - maybe Zynga is where I draw the line... ;-) it really does seem like like they're hacking our brains like that fluke* that causes ants to get eaten by animals to spread itself.
But still maybe that knowledge helps all of marketing by example...
How awesome is it that I can talk to old friends on Facebook (which does lead to in-person convo!), get great socially-vetted info on Twitter, or find local tips on Foursquare when traveling.
Okay - maybe Zynga is where I draw the line... ;-) it really does seem like like they're hacking our brains like that fluke* that causes ants to get eaten by animals to spread itself.
But still maybe that knowledge helps all of marketing by example...
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicrocoelium_dendriticum