Facebook Photo Booths Dot GOP Convention

TAMPA, Fla. (TheStreet) - In case you don't have a camera phone or point-and-shoot at the Republican National Convention, Facebook (FB) has you covered.

The mammoth social media company has set up multiple "photo booth" kiosks around the Tampa Bay Times Forum this week that allow convention goers to snap pictures in the hallways of the venue.

The process, which immediately posts the photo to the Timelines of user Facebook pages, requires quite a few steps. Users must find one of the booths, request a lanyard and code card from a Facebook representative, sign into their Facebook accounts, punch a special code into a provided iPad, and allow an application by dwinQ to access their profiles.

On its Web site, dwinQ refers to itself as a company that can help users leverage real-world events by creating more active Facebook users, and increasing key social media performance indicators.

Once people complete registration (don't worry, representatives assure you that the iPad you registered on will immediately close out of your profile) they must then wave the card in front of a screen that will then snap a photo of whoever stands in front of it. After the camera takes a picture, users have the option to retry the shot or upload it to their profiles.

The final step, of course, is to access Facebook from a personal computer or mobile phone and revel in the result. To shake things up a bit, Facebook representatives say they have props (like a big Uncle Sam top hat) for people to don.

The whole experience "is the easy, frictionless way to bring social media to real-world events and venues," according to dwinQ's explanation on the back of the Facebook card.

It's a simple reminder that amidst all the political pageantry, Facebook is waiting in the wings of the convention to offer users another way to share content on their Web site.

-- Written by Joe Deaux in Tampa, Fla.

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