Project Rethink

Thank you for clicking even though you were asked not to! As many of you know I am very interested in all aspects of the modern web, in this case why people click.

If you would like to link to this entry, I ask that you tell your readers not to click on the link and then link them here:
http://www.projectrethink.org/2008/10/23/do-not-click-on-this-link

If you’re a twitter user, you can just retweet the link:
RT @shawnwelch: Do not click on this link: http://is.gd/4Ez2

Thanks for your help,

-Shawn

*As always, the results of this survey will be posted at projectrethink.org

 

Last week I posted a survey that asked the question, “Why do you use Twitter?”

I am going through the results now and will post them on Wednesday. I was happy to receive more than 256 responses (much more than expected).  When I post the results, I will also make the raw data available for download.

After the first survey, I had another one in mind that I wanted to do.  If you use twitter, please take a second to answer these questions. Just like last time, I will make the results and raw data available for download on this blog. The survey will be open until Thursday evening, results will be posted on Friday. Also, feel free to follow me @shawnwelch.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am not affiliated with twitter or any twitter related services. I am just curious and I’m sure other people are as well.

Thanks again, and remember you can contact me at info@projectrethink.org or follow me on Twitter @shawnwelch.

Lately I’ve noticed some trends in social media, in particular with twitter. I am curious what other people think, so I put this questionnaire together. If you use twitter, please take a chance to fill it out. I will be posting the results to this survey for everyone to see next week.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am not affiliated with twitter or any twitter related services. I am just curious and I’m sure other people are as well.

Thanks everyone, results to this survey will be posted next week on Wednesday. I will leave the survey open to responses until Tuesday evening!

Alright, we are going to try to figure out how many calories are burned per tweet.  As a disclaimer, this is just for fun.

The Data:

Average word length: 6 characters

“Numbers regarding total characters are based on an estimated average word length of five, plus a space, or six characters per word.”

Average typing speed: 60 wpm

An average typist reaches 50 to 70 wpm, while some positions can require 80 to 95 (usually the minimum required for dispatch positions and other typing jobs), and some advanced typists work at speeds above 120. 

Calories burned while typing; this one is more difficult. There are a lot of different sources on this, but the most reliable seems to be bodybuilding.com. They estimate the average person burns about 2.65* calories per minute.

*Calculations based on a male weighing 185 lbs (84kg) with a height of 6′1″ (me)

So assuming 140 character twitter post (we’re exercising here, you’ve gotta do max reps).

140 / 6 = 23.333 words per tweet
23.333 words / 60 wpm =  .389 mins per tweet (or about 23 seconds)

.389 mins per tweet * 2.650 calories per minute = 1.031 calories per tweet!


Of course calculations so complex will vary from person-to-person, but I think it is safe to assume that you burn 1 calorie per tweet. Then again, who knows how many calories are burned when tweeting from a mobile device…

Burn some extra calories and exercise by following me @shawnwelch

Seven ways to make sure you will never succeed:

1. Ask for opinions and suggestions, but don’t listen to them.
2. Send an email when you should make a phone call or meet in person.
3. Make decisions without considering the context of your assumptions.
4. Forget that there is a real person on the other end of an email address.
5. Be unable to say, “It was my fault” (always have an excuse).
6. Never ask for help.
7. Step on anyone to get or stay on top.

Whether you are trying to be the best in your field, invent the next Google, or start the next Microsoft; bridges are good and everybody needs them. You never know when a bridge might come in handy, so do your best to maintain as many as you can.

Be polite, be amicable; don’t be a jerk. If someone takes the time to comment on your work, take the time to write them back and say thanks. Similarly, if you like the work of someone else–tell them!

I used to work in a restaurant as a cook and my boss always told me, “No feedback is good feedback.”  People expect their food to be good, so you only hear from them when it is bad. 

One of the best ways to burn bridges is by only providing negative feedback.

Even if you are at the top, be mindful of how you ask for things (and always remember, sometimes you still have to ask). If you are dealing with a venture capital, or trying to motivate your employees, remember that sugar catches more flies than vinegar.

-Shawn