GetGlue is a free social networking application that allows you to “check in” and share with the world what you are currently doing. Being mostly geared toward media, you can share things like what show or movie you’re watching, what song you’re listening to, and what book you’re reading. It sounds just like every other social app that allows you to share what you are currently doing, but GetGlue goes a bit further, offering suggested items of interest, subscriptions and prizes. If you’re a Facebook fanatic, this will be a nice supplement to your social networking activity.
You’ll need to create an account to start taking advantage of the app’s features. You can include as much or as little private information as you’d like. All that is required is a user name, password and email address. The main screen has six basic functions: check-in, stream, rate, pick, sticker and you (profile). Whenever you check in, you need to search for what you are watching or reading. The lack of a live search tool is a bit surprising. However, once you choose a show, you can check in or view all the people who have recently checked in. You can also get details about the show, including a description, total visitors and total likes. You can also mark the show as a favorite.
The stream is just like Facebook and Twitter, showing you the latest check-ins from around the world. You can even reply to their posts, and view their profile. Once in their profile, you can choose to subscribe to their check-ins, and see them in your stream. You can also rate movies and shows in order to receive suggestions for new media that might be of interest to you. The more you rate, and the more active you are, the more points you gain toward free stickers. GetGlue will mail you free stickers from a variety of media companies such as HBO, Showtime and Twit.
I’m not sure I completely understand the purpose of GetGlue. You can do basically the same things with Facebook and third-party Facebook apps. The only major difference is the ability to win free stickers. Even so, do you really want free stickers? Also, the interface, although intuitive, is not visually pleasing. It could use a bit of work to make it look polished.
Again, if you’re a Facebook addict, then this app should be right up your alley. Otherwise, you might want to pass on it.
