It’s the start of a beautiful weekend. Whether it’s raining or shining outside, if you’re reading this you can probably count yourself among the most fortunate folks on the planet.
Perhaps you’re feeling particularly adventurous. You should check out the new “Surprise Me” feature.
To activate, go to your Personal Settings page, check the appropriate box, and save.
I’m not going to tell you exactly what it does. If you’re open to new things and serendipitity in your blogging life try leaving it on as you go about your normal blogging activities of posting, commenting, checking your stats, and such, and see what pops up.
Enjoy the weekend, let me know what you think, and on Monday I’ll be able to reveal more.
Update 1: This was the result of a collaboration with the artist Evan Roth at the Rhizome Seven on Seven event, where we just presented it. As I said, there will be more on Monday in the New York Times. 🙂
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Can’t wait!
Always fun with surprises and I hope it will be in in a positive way ha ha!!!!
Hmm I have to wait and see …..
I only found 3 new things and one of the new things I found no result of clicking on said button. 😛 But I like this, I shall wait til Monday to see what else is in store.
Sounds fun Matt! Keep up the good work!
I am yet to be surprised!! excited though…
Hmmm Spoiler Alert!
Was it that Humanize tab on the Stats page? Maybe I’ve just never noticed that before.
On Monday, a new feature in the stats will tell you how much time you spend on your blog.
It is not the feature in itself that will surprise many of us but it is seeing the time we spend on our blogs that might leave our jaws dropped, for some in surprise, for others in horror … 🙂
All right, checked on the feature…and see the “This post is totally awesome” thing in the new post…posted a new post and don’t see anything denoted the level of awesome.
I’m incredibly bewildered by this whole surprise thing.
oh my, what a splendid surprise 🙂
I’m done checking the box. Well, yeah, I can’t wait for the “surprise”…lmao
I don’t see the Surprise Me box in my personal settings or anywhere. Is it because I have the WordPress download that my Webhost offered with the hosting package? I have upgraded to the latest version. I even tried to login from the link in this blog post and it didn’t recognize my login and pswd, so to even post this question I had to make a new account! Are there different WordPress’ or is there another place to look for the Surprise Me in my original account?
Thank you!
Yes this is only for WordPress.com-hosted blogs.
OK, its done! I like surprises.
This great anticipation….is fun!
has been struggling to figure out the surprise.. oh this is frustating! xD
I SAW HUMANIZE? NEVER SAW THAT BEFORE….HMMMMMMMM
If Surprise Me #1 is typical, I LOVE the little bit of whimsy on a gray day. Thanks, Matt, nice idea : )
I definitely know that I am among the most fortunate folks on the planet 🙂
Going to check the new feature… suspense…
Ok, ok, I activated it. I trust you that much WordPress. 😛 Waiting to see what’ll happen…
Damn. I should have created my blog just a bit earlier – I only got it yesterday so I wouldn’t know the difference to before. No surprise for me. Unless it’s something really surprising? Hmm. In any case, it’s great suspense. ;D
Ooooh!!! That is such a cool feature, Matt! Another reason to keep checking one’s stats!
Nice one. I was surprised. really! I had a humanize section located in my blog stats. It was like, “Oh my GOD! is this for real?” and I was like laughing.lmao.That’s pretty cool. In just a matter of hours (like 2 hours), I received my surprise.
Are there more?
Can’t wait to be surprised again. 🙂
There’s definitely more.
It’s like hunting for Easter eggs, haha. “This post is awesome,” and the “Humanize” option at the Blog Stats page. ;p Awesome, guys!
Nothing’s happening. Is it only working with English-speaking blogs maybe?
I have been waiting
all my life
for unknown things
in odd-shaped packages
to be a pony with a star
Nothing has happened…
What could this surprise be…..?
Activated! And now… what? >.<
I beta-tested this a few days ago, and as I was looking at my stats a volcano erupted. It seemed pretty cool at the time, but on reflection I don’t think I like this new feature.
A volcano? I don’t think that’s actually part of this — maybe it was a personal thing?
Well, I’ve seen three things so far, and they’re all pretty neat. Gotta keep hunting, though.
Activated… holding my breath…!! Ticked the “super awesome” box. Let’s see what happens…
I very much enjoy serendipity—-the word comes from the story” The Three Princes of Serendip” by Richard Boyle in which the protagonists found unexpected surprises just by taking risks.
Is it something for eat? a puppy?
Ah, you, “humanize”rs! 🙂
the humanized blog stats are pretty neat
OK…Sorry for the rant in advance
I signed up for this “surprise me”, and the only thing that surprises me is that there is no surprise YET!!!!!! 😦
I did it too, because I am feeling bold. Even though my Dad reads my blog.
Haha! learn something new every day
or as poet and children’s book writer Lucille Clifton would say, “you’re teaching them how to be human!”
have a great weekend, Matt & team, full of wonderful unexpected gifts and surprises
I’m ticking the box!! Holy cow, I’m falling off my chair with excitement…can’t wait to see what it does!
Okay I activated the surprise me feature can’t wait to see what it does! 🙂
I clicked the “surprise me” button and thought something exciting would happen. I thought Chuck Norris would beat up all my childhood bullies, my Mom would bake me an apple pie, or Fonzie would come to visit me… I can truly say, I was disappointed.
so for me me nothing has happed. whats up?
It doesn’t mean something is going to happen right away, it means you’re open to the possibility of new things happening that may be unexpected.
Hah. I love it. :p I must say, it did scare me at one point…
Horray to ‘Humanized’
I checked it and await the surprise!
Saw and checked the Super Awesome Post box. Ohhhh, the anticipation! = P
Can’t believe how trusting I am. I wouldn’t do this for anyone but WordPress.
I love surprises!
Well, I checked it! Will I regret it? I hope not!
It’s a time killer!
Is it only that stats page thing that you’re talking about? not so surprised. 😦 Expected something more exciting and surprising at the same time.
“Humanize,” indeed! I want a nice juicy field mouse. 🙂
K, gonna try it. Hope it’s not something bad though… Since it’s a surprise… well, it should be good… right?
Oh, actually it could have just been those beans I ate. The feature isn’t doing anything that drastic today.
I think I am going blind or something! I can’t see where to activate the Surprise me feature. Can someone point me in the right direction?
What does that “this post is superawesome” checkbox do?
It allows you to signify that you’re very proud of a post.
Oh, I just got it. Thanks for the surprise. I won’t spoil it for anyone else. But, cryptically, the surprise has made me want to do more often something that I really need to start doing less….
Addition to stats is a fab touch 😀
Nothing’s happened so far. I checked the box, but is there another way to leave it “turned on,” as you say?
That’s all.
I’m surprised 🙂
Humanize……
never take the path of least evolution
How long do I have to wait for it? I clicked (I think) all of the possible clicks and did that for about an hour but… nothing happens 😦
Oh, oh, is it the Humanize tab? I think it is! Yeah, it’s really cool! Is there anything else?
I think the panda is the surprise.
That sounds wonderfully enigmatic… and so, I must do it.
I am ready! I am “In the Moment” waiting to have some fun!
I was surprised by all of the Blue stuff…didn’t see more yet…but THANK YOU…it’s refreshing! Wish there were more colors…?
Waiting too, having also been trusting…
Based on the update it looks like it’s part of an experiment.
Well, why not! I love presents so go ahead and surprise me!
Well, I almost got a surprise, but my clicky finger was too fast and it disappeared! Sad.
Well, just checked “surprise me” and suddenly, a delivery van appeared out front and brought me this shirt–>http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Three-Short-Sleeve-XXX-Large/dp/B000NZW3JI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1271553007&sr=8-1
I kid. But seriously, I hope clicking “surprise me” doesn’t come back to haunt me.
Go ahead, surprise me, come on go ahead and try .. I dare you, I double dog dare you! 8)
meow ..
(closing my eyes as im checking it)
I attended the Seven on Seven event. Nice work. Your presentation was my wife’s favorite of the bunch.
Where was this feature when I published some hard work I put in to my website that nobody looked at? At least I could have had a nice video.
I am going to try.
*intrigued*
Dang. This is incredible suspense.
found it, so far it’s not that big of a surprise
Yes I’ve done it… now surprise me!!!
Can’t believe I’m doing this… you better not disappoint, though you have never disappointed actually… lets see, what serendipity lies ahead… hehehe
Who doesn’t love to be surprised…
I didn’t see any surprise…..
Yeah…New features are always nice, but some of us want to keep an appearance of moderate respectability, even if no one reads our blogs. . . so I think I’ll wait for a bit for info. 🙂
I love it… I’m wondering if there are more surprises for me in line?
Cool
I guess I’m interested enough to try it.
wow !!!!! I love surprises…..
Yes, I want to be surprised. I want to wake up to something new and exciting like the rest of us… Does that make me weak and pathetic? Hope not! 🙂
damn. took me 10 minutes to figure out what that little box does.
but what a great idea! genius.
is the super awesome post thing new? or did it come when i checked the surprise me feature?