[hnriot]

It's the density that make Foursquare more popular in SF and NYC but rather the demographics of those areas, modern, high tech centers of urban sophistication. The fly over states are more concerned with the latest developments in pickups and gun racks to care much about checking in at the hottest espresso bar.

[cylinder]

Yeah, if only those rednecks in places like Huntsville, Alabama (most engineers and PhD per capita) or Houston would stop focusing on banalities like jet propulsion[1] and subsea robots[2] and spend more time "checking in" to bars on their cell phones, then they could perhaps catch up with the futurists living on the coasts.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Space_Flight_Center

[2] http://subseacompanies.com/

[protomyth]

"The fly over states are more concerned with the latest developments in pickups and gun racks to care much about checking in at the hottest espresso bar."

I hope with that username this is a parody account because that line is by far one of the most ignorant, prejudice lines for HN.

[frogpelt]

While it's true that people in rural areas often don't care about the same things that people in big cities care about that doesn't mean they are oblivious or opposed to new technology.

I have a friend who is a commercial poultry farmer in rural Mississippi. He can turn on his chicken house feeders from anywhere in the world with a smart phone app. Some of the coolest technology being built is farm-related. People, no matter where they live, just want technology that makes their lives better in some way.

[tedunangst]

People, no matter where they live, just want technology that makes their lives better in some way.

But they are different than the people who just want technology and see it as its own end.

[protomyth]

"But they are different than the people who just want technology and see it as its own end."

Those people exist everywhere including the non-costal states. Long winters clear a lot of time for technology exploration.

[wuliwong]

Powerful insights.