( CNN ) -- Facebook just purchased a service for sharing your location with friends , according to a CNNMoney report . UPDATE 2:30 p.m . ET : Gowalla has confirmed in a blog post that its service will wind down by the end of January . So what does that mean to those of us who use Facebook or Gowalla ? If you 're a Gowalla user and love the service the way it is , it 's almost certainly bad news . When Facebook acquires a company , it rarely keeps the original product intact . Instead , it voraciously devours these smaller startups to get to the talented developers housed within . Beluga , a recent acquisition , is in the process of shutting down while Facebook works instead on Facebook Messages , a similar service . The initial report suggests this will be the case with Gowalla : Some of the Austin-based team will move to Palo Alto , California , to work at Facebook , while a few will stay behind in Austin . The move also technically means that Facebook owns the data you entered into Gowalla . I 'd bet against Facebook importing this information into your Facebook profile without your consent -- they 're likely aware that this would result in another privacy scare -- but I do think Facebook will provide time to export your Gowalla data if they do shut it down . Why is this a likely outcome ? Because it 's exactly what they 're doing with Beluga . Existing users can download an archive of their Beluga messages until mid-December . Who knows , they might even provide a way to add your Gowalla check-ins to your Facebook Timeline -- but only with consent . What about Facebook users ? Is anything likely to change ? One conclusion you could naturally jump to is that Facebook wants you to share your location more often -- and the Gowalla team will build features into Facebook to do so . This would be logical : Facebook already launched a product , Facebook Places , for doing just that -- but they later scaled it back and merged the features into your status updates . Maybe Facebook wants to take another shot ? To some extent , perhaps . My guess is that the integration wo n't be completely literal . I do n't foresee Facebook providing `` stamps '' for checking in to certain locations , for instance . I do n't think it will generate city guides for major metropolitan areas , either . We know from the initial report that Gowalla employees will work on Timeline , Facebook 's new scrapbook-like layout , and I 'd guess that their skills will be used more generally , rather than working solely on location-based features . We also know that a source with knowledge of the deal thinks that there 's a broader similarity between the two companies . `` Gowalla 's vision is about people telling stories , and Facebook 's vision for Timeline is about stories about important moments in life , '' said the source . So do n't expect Facebook to suddenly launch a wave of new location-based features . I think the fusion of the companies will be less visible than that . What does all this mean to you ? If you 're a Gowalla user and the deal is confirmed , you may want to switch services . I do n't think Gowalla will be around for much longer if this Facebook deal closes . If you 're a Facebook user , meanwhile , you probably wo n't feel a thing . Facebook just bought another group of talented developers and will continue to dominate the world of social networking for years to come . Your Facebook experience may even improve , thanks to the influx of talent into Facebook 's ranks . The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Pete Cashmore .
If you 're a Gowalla lover , Facebook 's purchase is almost certainly bad news . Facebook now owns any data you imported to Gowalla . Comment: