In this month’s issue of WIRED Magazine I received recently in my mailbox (Yes, I still read hardcopy print) there’s an interesting article by Joshua Davis concerning blog posts and Tweets. I think you’ll find his advice, interesting…
Don’t Blog or Tweet Anything With More Than Half a Million Hits
By Joshua Davis 
07.15.09
It happens to everyone: You come across something hilarious online and want to pass it along. But are you hopping on a trend that’s past its expiration date? Answering that question isn’t as simple as you’d think. Just ask Jonah Berger, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School who has been studying how trends rise and fall for almost a decade. In his most recent work, Berger looked at changing fashions in baby names. Examining a century’s worth of data, he and his colleagues discovered that the quicker a name came into vogue, the quicker it went out. Because fads are perceived negatively, parents tend to shun names that have seen a sharp increase in popularity. “If it came out of nowhere, it might not persist that long,” he says.
In Berger’s opinion, the same holds true for Internet videos. 
Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake’s “Dick in a Box” clip catapulted to prominence in December 2006. For a couple of weeks, it stormed the Web and seemed to be reposted everywhere. Then it disappeared. If you posted it in late January, you would have looked like a rank n00b.
“The things we forward, tweet, or post send a message about who we are,” Berger says. “And you don’t want the message to be that you’re behind the curve.”
Before you share something, you need to do some digging—you have to analyze what Berger calls “the velocity of adoption.” If that hilarious Web video has been percolating below the radar, posting it will make you look good even if it’s old. But if it racked up big numbers in just a month, don’t risk your reputation. A rule of thumb: If something has fewer than half a million hits—even if it’s been around a while—go for it. Otherwise, skip it, no matter how recently it entered the ether.
Sounds like excellent advice, especially for those of us who like to “talk first” and think later.
Godspeed,
James
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Good site, where did you come up with the information in this posting? Im pleased I found it though, ill be checking back soon to see what other articles you have.
Laree,
I’m a subscriber to WIRED Magazine (Physical publication) along with numerous other physical print marketing magazines. This, along with many online sites, is where I do all my research for article that I write, blog posts, website creation, etc.
Thanks for the kind words!
Blessings,
James
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