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Comments on: Is that '25 Things' meme driving Facebook growth?

Well, what do you know? A wildly popular and heavily publicized social-networking meme may have actually pulled in extra traffic to the site, according to Compete.com.

Add a Comment (Log in or register) (20 Comments)

by 8301 February 11, 2009 9:29 AM PST

Well, it is annoying, but at least it's not a chain letter (in the traditional sense, anyway).

Now, cut and paste this comment to 3,592 people in 41 seconds or undead vampire gremlins will swarm to you and eat your pancreas.

Like this Reply to this comment


by yanchineseguy February 11, 2009 9:35 AM PST: 8301 - you beat me to the joke FTW.; Like this


by karpenterskids February 11, 2009 9:36 AM PST: haha

And come to think of it...THAT'S why the last 7 years of my life have sucked!
I didn't repost a myspace bulletin that I opened! :0; Like this


by tipoo_ February 16, 2009 3:07 PM PST: 40 SECONDZ LEFT!; Like this


by yanchineseguy February 11, 2009 9:34 AM PST: Sounds like a new avenue of spam or chain mail.

Now, send this to 25 friends within 25 minutes or something bad will happen in 25 days.; Like this Reply to this comment


by loose_screw February 11, 2009 9:38 AM PST: The idea isn't very original but I agree that it does seem to be pretty popular. I've ignored the "invites" from my friends on facebook so far, but then again I restrict my circle of friends to only close personal personal friends instead of adding any odd acquaintance, so they probably know me well enough that this would be an exercise in futility anyway.; Like this Reply to this comment


by bfrench1 February 11, 2009 9:44 AM PST: I would be more likely to attribute the growth in new accounts to the weakening job market. As more jobs are lost, I believe folks who have never had a reason to use Facebook may be turning to this and other such social sites as a means for networking with the intent of finding new contacts for job leads... And not to mention to kill some of the newly found spare time on their hands.; Like this Reply to this comment


by sghanna February 11, 2009 10:15 AM PST: I found the 'gateway drug to blogging' particularly funny...I'm afraid you may be correct!; Like this Reply to this comment


by iff2mastamatt February 11, 2009 11:42 AM PST: I just joined in January.; Like this Reply to this comment


by sanenazok February 11, 2009 2:42 PM PST: Wow I work and so I had not heard of this. I guess school kids drive traffic to these sites.; Like this Reply to this comment

by ThatIsWhatSheSaid February 11, 2009 6:16 PM PST

I hate that infernal list! I can't believe how resilient it's been! I don't know what made this list so much more appealing to people compared to the myriad other chain letter-esque things out there, but it drives me batty!

And yes, gateway drug to blogging was a nice little quip. About 1% of blogs contain anything insightful or useful. As for the rest... like I really need to hear about you going to the store today and finding a deal of Cup 'o Noodles?

Like this Reply to this comment


by pase121 February 11, 2009 9:39 PM PST: LMAO!; Like this


by logangreer February 11, 2009 8:57 PM PST: Was there a giant journalist memo that went out saying "please work the word 'meme' into every article you can, if you don't you'll have bad luck for the next five years"?; Like this Reply to this comment


by caffemacchiato February 11, 2009 10:49 PM PST: Who needs a bona fide list. I'll take a mala fide list anytime.; Like this Reply to this comment


by trescrepu February 12, 2009 5:49 AM PST: Someone please kill the "25 Things..." phenomenon. MySpace is loaded with that kind of noise; one of the reasons I avoided engaging on that unusable site.; Like this Reply to this comment

by blusky08 February 12, 2009 6:07 AM PST

Social websites are more than just a waste of time. They are voluntary profiling sites--one more tool geared towards making people feel comfortable relinquishing their rights to privacy.

Like this Reply to this comment


by cnet-og February 12, 2009 8:30 AM PST: I think social sites are an efficient means of cataloging one's mistakes early on in life, only to later be brought up at some critical and unfortunate time in said life (e.g. job interview, appointment to high-ranking government office, etc.), thus hindering the road to success.

Gotta love the masses' willingness to photograph, video, or otherwise document egregious acts of stupidity, and subsequently publicize them.; Like this


by jture February 16, 2009 1:46 PM PST: It's very simple: if you don't like the "25 things" fad, you don't have to participate. I don't, and I don't.; Like this Reply to this comment


by ace10134 February 16, 2009 2:15 PM PST: ATTENTION:

Facebook just changed their TERMS OF SERVICE.

They now OWN EVERYTHING YOU POST

Even IF YOU DELETE your ACCOUNT, they will STILL KEEP YOUR INFORMATION.

I guess this is already in effect, but I would delete your account as soon as possible, it doesn't look like you would want to be part of facebook anymore.

This was reported by neowin.com at http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/02/16/facebook-we-own-your-content-forever-and-ever

Thanks for reading; Like this Reply to this comment


by nosajarta September 24, 2009 7:53 AM PDT: Love the comments, but see if you all like 25 Things About Me:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=63266983833; Like this Reply to this comment

(20 Comments)

About The Social

CNET News' Caroline McCarthy is a downtown Manhattanite who believes that, despite popular opinion, the Web can actually help your social life. She's happily addicted to fun social-media tools from Twitter to Yelp to Facebook, sends an inordinate number of text messages, and has a tendency to waste time at the office reading restaurant blogs. Here, she explores all facets of the Web's gregarious side, as well as the unique tech culture in her home city of New York. (Don't call it Silicon Alley.)