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Patterns in Your Facebook Wall

I think this Facebook research is interesting:

More Detailed Patterns In Status Updates Found
via All Facebook

“The data team spotted the most patterns among people with the largest numbers of friends, and also discovered some truths to age stereotypes. As for the former, popular folks:

– Use words like “you” and other second-person pronouns more often
– Write longer status updates
– Refer to music and sports more frequently
– Are less emotional in their status updates
– Discuss their families less often
– Use fewer words related to time
– Use fewer verbs in the past or present tense

The data team didn’t find a correlation between age and frequency of posting status updates. However, younger people:

– Tend to express more negative feelings
– Swear more often
– Refer to themselves more
– Discuss school
-Apparently, older people don’t necessarily update their statuses less frequently, but they do:

– Write longer status updates
– Discuss other people more frequently
– Use more prepositions and articles

Time of day has already proven to determine several patterns in postings, but the data team has just unearthed a couple more based on the simple fact that people discuss what they do, want or need.

– More status updates about sleep appear at night and early in the morning.
– Posts about school and work increase in the mornings.
– Status updates about social activities increase as the day proceeds.
– People use more positive words in their updates during the morning, and then that declines as the day progresses.
– Negative words don’t appear much in the mornings but increase as the day progresses.

By now you’re probably thinking that these findings simply quantify the common sense things we’ve already noticed on Facebook. Now comments and likes of status updates show some things you expect and a couple of surprises.

– Postive words in status updates garner the most likes.
– Negative words in status updates get fewer likes.
– Positive emotional words in status updates get fewer comments.
– Negative emotional words in status updates get more comments.
– Longer status updates get more comments and likes.
– Updates with more pronouns get more comments and likes.
– Updates about religion only get likes.
– Sleep-related updates tend to get the fewest comments and likes.”

So, the library angle? If you want to draw folks to your Facebook presence . . .

Be positive (Duh, but this kicks in during budget threats)
Use the word ‘you’ (simple pronouns are more engaging)
Post in the morning more
Don’t fear the occasional longer posting
Talk in your friends’ vernacular (see what I did there?)
Be passionate (Librarianship is a religion after all – or a cult at least)

Stephen

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Posted on: December 26, 2010, 9:18 am Category: Uncategorized

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