GetGlue check-in addiction

In the past few weeks, you may have seen links for TV shows, movies or games I am playing showing up in my Twitter stream. I hope this hasn’t annoyed you, but the truth is I’ve been restrained and I’ve only been cross posting when I have something to say to a wider audience.

About six months ago I started using Miso, an iPhone app for checking in to TV shows and movies. I liked it, but despite getting a few others to join the service, it never really felt social. 

More recently, a Twitter pal alerted me to GetGlue, a similar service that also allowed you to check into books, games and music. I decided to give it a go, and very quickly I became…well…addicted. The social aspect of the service kicked in really quickly. Not only did I already have a number of contacts using the it, but they were commenting on activity, asking questions about what I’m watching and making recommendations about what to watch.

It turns out that it’s a service I’ve been looking for for rather a long time. I want to see what my friends are watching so that I don’t miss out on the best shows. In this age of DVRs, it’s very easy to completely miss out on trailers and so be totally unaware of new shows to watch. As a dad, I don’t have a lot of time in each day to sit and watch TV, so I want to be watching the very best shows, and little else. GetGlue goes a little further, it makes suggestions based on shows that you have already told it you like, and their algorithm throws up some damn good results.

Like any check-in network, GetGlue gives you “awards” for you check-ins. Some of these are easy to get, some take a lot of work, but unlike other networks, you get real life stickers sent to you in the post. A nice little touch from an ambitious team.

What really makes GetGlue stand head and shoulders above the others in a growing market is that it feels like you are part of a social network, not just piggybacked on to Twitter or Facebook. You can, of course, link up with these powerhouses, but it’s not essential to enjoy the product.

Give it a go. I think you’ll like it. And follow me when you get there.