Two years ago, I decided to do a thorough (if unscientific) analysis of the Facebook wall posts people sent me on my birthday. [If you have tons of free time: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3] Then last year I revisited the subject with a new set of data and some encouraging conclusions. (Also, if you haven't yet, check out the comments on the 2012 post to read about how my initial study was a factor in a couple getting married!)
This year I considered abandoning the wall post analysis. It seems like I've beaten the crap out of that horse's corpse, and what does Tangent Space(s) offer if not the promise of something weird, interesting, pointless, and new?
What changed my mind?
The number of texts, remarks, and yes even wall posts, that communicated a fundamental misunderstanding of my stance on the birthday wall post.
What has been the point of all this?
Existential crisis much?
This year, before and during my birthday, many people said what amounted to: "I'm too nervous to write on your Facebook wall this year!" The perception seems to be that, because I obsessively blog about birthday wall posts, I must have some sort of wild, unattainable expectations for how awesome a post should be.
But this isn't the case at all! Have these people even read, re-read, and memorized my blog entries?! My thesis has never, ever been that people need to put a lot of time into the post or work really hard to make me laugh or cry. There are no high expectations here. My point has simply been that a personalized post is always significantly better than an unpersonalized post. This doesn't mean you have to write a sonnet or recollect our inside joke from 10th grade. It just means you should add to "Happy birthday" something-- anything-- that pertains to me and/or our friendship.
This could be the tiniest change. Consider the following two hypothetical posts:
Happy birthday, Jon!
vs.
Happy birthday, Jon! The Ravens suck.
The second one is so much better than the first, and it requires almost no special research, knowledge, creativity, or work. All that to say that making someone's birthday better is easy. And to say that the Ravens suck.
My 2013 birthday wall
It was a very good year.
After that stern bit of education, I want to thank everyone for making this my best Facebook wall birthday yet. I've streamlined the stats into just 'Personalized' and 'Not Personalized', though in the chart I do take special note of video/pictures and posts that mention this beloved blog.
To put these numbers into perspective, here are the results from my last 3 birthdays:
2011: 14% of posts were personalized
2012: 26%
2013: 28%
Your two cents
If you haven't already given me your life savings on this topic
What's your favorite type of birthday wall post to receive? Funny photos or videos? Inside jokes? Old memories? Or, um... "Happy birthday."
Jon
Favorite type of birthday wall post to receive is one on Google+.
ReplyDeleteTim, I forgot about the surge in Google+ posts this year! I made a new chart (it's on facebook and found here: http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/600998_10101278383271729_267948831_n.jpg) that reflects the new numbers. It's now 30% personalized!
DeleteI thought that we (Tim, Chris and myself) agreed that we would get our own segment in the upcoming pie chart?
DeleteYeah man, read my reply to Tim's comment. I honestly didn't see your posts on there until after I wrote this! And that, I guess, says it all about Google+ haha. But anyway I updated the pie chart; it's linked in the reply to Tim above.
DeleteI don't think I have a specific idea for the ideal post...just what you've always advocated for, which is personalization. Obviously that can take different degrees I guess, so the more thought the better, and funny or sentimental would be my preferences. I will say what my LEAST favorites are: "happy birthday." You couldn't even be bothered with an exclamation point?! Even a question mark would be better, like allude so something funny...but a period?! Maybe I've overly critical of the lack of enthusiasm, but if your wish is that dull, I'd prefer nothing. Or you better be making it a joke that it's only a period.
ReplyDeleteAn inside joke would probably be the best post I could receive. I suppose a generic happy birthday is better than no recognition at all although that is assuredly better than the complete opposite "curse this day" post. I believe I am guilty of soliciting you a non-personalized birthday post this year. (How foolish of me to not backtrack a years worth of blog posts to avoid this error!) I must humbly apologize and I will henceforth dedicate my life to writing an epic poem on the scale of the Iliad that I will expand upon with another enthralling chapter each year on your birthday... or perhaps I'll just add "Ravens Suck" whichever my mood finds me in on that day.
ReplyDelete