So you want to add your location to your Twitter message but backslashes and hashtags aren’t your thing, nor is joining yet another location-supporting social network. Sent.Fm may be a viable solution for you.
Sent.Fm simply asks for your location and in return gives you a short URL that links to a map that you add to your Twitter message. It gives you three simple ways to do this: one via its website, two via shortcut links which you add to your message manually, and three via your iPhone which allows coordinate accuracy.
Personally, I really like the shortcut links (ex. http://sent.fm/winnipeg) because they don’t require any type of client outside of Twitter. You can use it very easily from Twitter or any mobile client such as TwitterBerry which I use. And you have complete control over the accuracy of your location, whether it be your zip code, city or exact address because you’re entering the shortened URL yourself.
iPhone users can actually have their location narrowed down to latitude and longitude coordinates by using the Maps app available from the home screen. Just drop a pin on your location, choose the share option, address the message to twitterusername@sent.fm and push send, then load twitter and remove the @ address. Good to go.
Now obviously this isn’t a perfect solution. But it doesn’t require any third party software download, user registration or any other of the usual hassles. And while I’m not a huge fan of the website location and iPhone sharing simply because they require additional steps outside of Twitter or third party Twitter clients, I’ll likely be a big user of the shortened URL solution until native location sharing comes along in a full-featured app.
You can find me on Twitter as @justindavey!
(Thanks Devin!)
