43things.com
43things.com… a place to share up to 43 of your goals in life, based on the theory that if you write down a goal then you are well on the way to achieving it. Why “43?” Well, why not? The number seems to have been pulled out of a hat, perhaps to set an upper limit on frivolous postings.
At first you’d think a site such as this wouldn’t last five minutes but it quickly proves to be irresistible… until you realize that most other people want to stop procrastinating as much as you do. After all, if you are examining the minutiae of 43things you are probably avoiding a more important, substantial task somewhere around the house or the office.
How about making it one of your goals to cut back on web surfing? It might be tricky if you get hooked on this site.
During one recent visit the following formed a “top-ten” discussions list:
Try out 43 Things: 893 people
stop procrastinating: 563 people
Take more pictures: 428 people
Read more books: 405 people
Fall in love: 336 people
Visit Japan: 313 people
be happy: 311 people
Learn Ruby: 307 people
write a book: 302 people
Be a better blogger: 302 people
What might “Ruby” be you ask? It turns out to be a programming language that is growing quickly in popularity, perhaps because it is free but perhaps also because it is considered easy to learn.
For additional insight into current happenings at “43” go to www.43things.com/zeitgeist. You will see postings that are just minutes old. You might even want to join a session in progress.
From a quick snapshot of site activity you quickly realize that the goals listed here come from an eclectic bunch: live without TV for a month, buy an electric guitar, stop wasting time, help complete "We The Media" Chinese translation project, travel to Iceland, live in Japan, take more photographs.
Go ahead, post your own ‘to do’ list and see what the rest of the visitors make of it. From time to time you might want to update your list, letting the world know of your progress, or lack thereof. Naturally, 43 will link you to anyone else who shares one or more of your goals.
Consider the popular goal, “live in Vancouver.” A couple of postings offer some insight.
From “cpg:” (expat but not too far):
I am really attracted to living in Canada, because I think the people are slightly more socially minded than most Americans. I have lived a long time in Europe and would like to be closer to my American family without being subject to the police state that the US has become. Also, Vancouver is not as cold as Montreal (my second choice)
From “degan:”
I’ve lived here almost all my life and I would like to move away so I can come back and appreciate it, but there is really nothing like the ocean and the mountains and the people and …all of it really.
From “starkicker10:”
It has always been my goal to live in Vancouver, BC. Its beautiful scenery, healthy lifestyle and mild winters are where I will be in the next 3 yrs!!! Fingers crossed!
How does the site generate revenue? Well, the “Vancouver” entry prompted two low-key advertisements, one for potential immigrants, the other a typical pointer to hotel listings and the like. You know the type, fairly generic, with a “junk mail” tone. “Relocating to Canada? Save over $5000, guaranteed.”
It also appears that at least one “heavy-hitter” in Internet e-commerce sees financial potential in 43things.com. Amazon.com is rumored to have taken a minority stake in the business, perhaps seeing a means of driving some of the blog traffic at 43things to its online storefronts.
Questionable site of the week
Bourque Newswatch (www.bourque.com) likes to portray itself as Canada’s answer to the Drudge Report (www.drudgereport.com) and at the same time as major player in the so-called new media. In mid-April the site began carrying prominent sponsor advertisements for the BC Liberal Party. Simultaneously Bourque began serving up supposed news links with headlines portraying the rival BC NDP in a negative light.
“BC NDP PLATFORM HAS LOTS OF HOLES, NO PLAN” ran one such link. The problem is that the link wasn't a news link at all but rather a pointer to a page on the Liberal Party’s web site. Hardly objective journalism.
Hardly a surprise though. A check of Bourque’s advertising policies shows that an “$850 Gold Sponsorship…gets you the right to 2 press releases headlined in normal "news" rotation.” In other words “news” headlines are for sale.
Site operator Pierre Bourque has a history of running tasteless or questionable headlines. A few days after the Asian tsunami struck he offered up “DEAR POPE: WHERE WAS GOD?” (www.ndrs.org/iol/bd.doc) and more recently he has referred disparagingly to John Paul II’s successor as “Benny.”
Peter Vogel is a Physics and Computer Sciences teacher at Notre Dame Regional Secondary School (www.ndrs.org). Suggestions and comments may be sent via email to peterv@portal.ca.
At first you’d think a site such as this wouldn’t last five minutes but it quickly proves to be irresistible… until you realize that most other people want to stop procrastinating as much as you do. After all, if you are examining the minutiae of 43things you are probably avoiding a more important, substantial task somewhere around the house or the office.
How about making it one of your goals to cut back on web surfing? It might be tricky if you get hooked on this site.
During one recent visit the following formed a “top-ten” discussions list:
Try out 43 Things: 893 people
stop procrastinating: 563 people
Take more pictures: 428 people
Read more books: 405 people
Fall in love: 336 people
Visit Japan: 313 people
be happy: 311 people
Learn Ruby: 307 people
write a book: 302 people
Be a better blogger: 302 people
What might “Ruby” be you ask? It turns out to be a programming language that is growing quickly in popularity, perhaps because it is free but perhaps also because it is considered easy to learn.
For additional insight into current happenings at “43” go to www.43things.com/zeitgeist. You will see postings that are just minutes old. You might even want to join a session in progress.
From a quick snapshot of site activity you quickly realize that the goals listed here come from an eclectic bunch: live without TV for a month, buy an electric guitar, stop wasting time, help complete "We The Media" Chinese translation project, travel to Iceland, live in Japan, take more photographs.
Go ahead, post your own ‘to do’ list and see what the rest of the visitors make of it. From time to time you might want to update your list, letting the world know of your progress, or lack thereof. Naturally, 43 will link you to anyone else who shares one or more of your goals.
Consider the popular goal, “live in Vancouver.” A couple of postings offer some insight.
From “cpg:” (expat but not too far):
I am really attracted to living in Canada, because I think the people are slightly more socially minded than most Americans. I have lived a long time in Europe and would like to be closer to my American family without being subject to the police state that the US has become. Also, Vancouver is not as cold as Montreal (my second choice)
From “degan:”
I’ve lived here almost all my life and I would like to move away so I can come back and appreciate it, but there is really nothing like the ocean and the mountains and the people and …all of it really.
From “starkicker10:”
It has always been my goal to live in Vancouver, BC. Its beautiful scenery, healthy lifestyle and mild winters are where I will be in the next 3 yrs!!! Fingers crossed!
How does the site generate revenue? Well, the “Vancouver” entry prompted two low-key advertisements, one for potential immigrants, the other a typical pointer to hotel listings and the like. You know the type, fairly generic, with a “junk mail” tone. “Relocating to Canada? Save over $5000, guaranteed.”
It also appears that at least one “heavy-hitter” in Internet e-commerce sees financial potential in 43things.com. Amazon.com is rumored to have taken a minority stake in the business, perhaps seeing a means of driving some of the blog traffic at 43things to its online storefronts.
Questionable site of the week
Bourque Newswatch (www.bourque.com) likes to portray itself as Canada’s answer to the Drudge Report (www.drudgereport.com) and at the same time as major player in the so-called new media. In mid-April the site began carrying prominent sponsor advertisements for the BC Liberal Party. Simultaneously Bourque began serving up supposed news links with headlines portraying the rival BC NDP in a negative light.
“BC NDP PLATFORM HAS LOTS OF HOLES, NO PLAN” ran one such link. The problem is that the link wasn't a news link at all but rather a pointer to a page on the Liberal Party’s web site. Hardly objective journalism.
Hardly a surprise though. A check of Bourque’s advertising policies shows that an “$850 Gold Sponsorship…gets you the right to 2 press releases headlined in normal "news" rotation.” In other words “news” headlines are for sale.
Site operator Pierre Bourque has a history of running tasteless or questionable headlines. A few days after the Asian tsunami struck he offered up “DEAR POPE: WHERE WAS GOD?” (www.ndrs.org/iol/bd.doc) and more recently he has referred disparagingly to John Paul II’s successor as “Benny.”
Peter Vogel is a Physics and Computer Sciences teacher at Notre Dame Regional Secondary School (www.ndrs.org). Suggestions and comments may be sent via email to peterv@portal.ca.
posted by Peter Vogel at 5:28 PM
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