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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I didn’t know that my sister checked the box for me. And what a surprise I got when a surprise video pops-up while I was writing my latest post. 😀
Surprise!!!!!!!!!
I’m in… will wait with bated breath….
I hope I’m not going to regret this 🙂
Ok, I see it. Hahahahahha!!!!!
Hello! I am so curious! I just activate Surprise me! box… I cannot wait to see what it is 😉
My big sister and I keep on checking my stats every few minutes and clicking the humanize tab to see different pictures of places in USA which population matches my stats. It is cool to see new places every few minutes 🙂
Mmmm… surprise me!
Nothing yet. Anybody notice anything at all?
Patience!
yup! the blog stats has become a fun thing! 😉
but i’m hoping that’s not the only surprise though… hehehe…
I’m still waiting to be surprised…. the suspense is almost unbearable 🙂
Ok, I did it. All I’ve seen so far is the “super awesome” thing. I’ll be waiting for more. And yes, please bring back the random blog feature!
Color me curious. ;+)
This post is super-awesome. 😉
Nice work, I love the “Humanize” tab on my traffic specs!
i just activated it, i can’t wait for the big surprise!!!
Nothing happened so far..
I feel disappointed.. 😕
I think we’re all in for a surprise.
I’m ready to be surprised.
Should I look harder or just be patient?
OK. Now I was worried about something of an April Fools variety and the only thing I noticed yesterday was as I went to edit a post (fat fingers cause MUCH editing) something was just not right. Whatever I tried to do it seemed that my words had a mind of their own. Now I don’t think that is the surprise, but it’s the only thing I noticed that was “different” than the norms. Now is anybody going to clue me in or is this some trickery to get me to post more?
OK now I feel very silly, and that humanize tab is quite entertaining.
I love surprises, and I love WordPress. This will be fun. Thanks!
Well, some buttons are bigger and I click “This post is super awesome”…still waiting for something big as a result of this. I’m sure the surprises are not over!
Thanks WordPress! I’m seeing more…:)
P.S. You never disappoint.
Oh I get it now. Nice!
I read all the comments this far and no one has posted what the surprize is yet so I’m thinking maybe it kicks in later on, like on April Fools Day?
I added surprise me, and I got 4 million dollars instantly transferred into my bank account and Oprah called wanting to book me on her show. Wow, it works awesome. Ok, none of that happened, but it’s what I was expecting.
I’m wondering what “surprise” i will be getting…
OK…so what’s the catch, hmmmmmm????
I got surprised. And I thought I got hacked -_- I’m quite quite relieved it was just this feature. Weird thing is, I don’t remember checking the box!
Nothing as yet!
It’s two hours already into Monday and I saw nothing!
I’ve noticed a couple of things, and it’s nice. 🙂 It lights up a dark day. 😛
I’m signed up and awaiting with bated breath.
I see a “humanize” feature in “stats”.
Is there another surprise? 🙂
I’m waiting for the big surprise. 😀
You cannot have more fun than watching animals! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
I haven’t seen anything yet….I’m waiting for someone attractive to come to my door with rum and offer me a nice (legitimate) job….will that be my surprise?
Tell me what the surprise is first, and then I’ll consider it.
I am not surprised yet. Please surprise me. 🙂
Haha, nice. Is that all? I’m scared.
My only surprise thus far was a video of an immense flash-mob dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and I was very pleased.
What will happen? Mm… Please, someone, give me a clue ^^… Okay, I’ll wait for Matt’s post on Monday…
I didn’t get any surprise. 😀
Ummm, had it on all weekend and can’t see anything different or surprising… /me shakes the blog a little…
You make me laugh. :^)
Anyone worked it out??
🙂 I am ready to be bowled over. I know its going to be some fun stuff. I love surprises. 😉
Waiting… Waiting… for the surprise
“4 is the smallest squared prime (p2) and the only even number in this form. It has an aliquot sum of 3 which is itself prime.”
All right – I already love this!
Activated. Can’ t wait!
I’m still trying to figure out what this surprise is…One of my images went down for like 5 minutes but then it came up. I was surprised by that, but there wasn’t any green slime falling from my ceiling or foam emitting from my computer so I’m still waiting……
I got my first surprise this morning in the form of my “humanized” stats! Cool.
Go on, surprise me 🙂
Ok i’m in. You did say cut the red wire first?
Ok, I’ll give it a whirl and see what occurs…….
Checked and waiting for the surprise….otherwise hold that surprise for now and send it on 30 April on my B’day Matt 🙂
Now I really can’t wait! It’s already nearly the end of Monday here, so come on guys. Show me the bright new tomorrow 🙂
Well, just turned it on and do not see anything different yet (except a bigger Publish button), so wondering what this is about…
Now this IS cool!
I’m still confused what this “surprise me” is? Maybe I haven’t read it carefully enough, but could someone please explain? Thanks. 😉
Ah, a human look at stats! 😀 Nice. Any more surprises?
Que será, que será?☺, saludo.-
What is this Surprised? Could not get it.
“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.”
I heard that, Matt. Excellent commentary!
I don’t like it!! It popped up without me realising – I hadn’t checked any box in personal settings and frightened the beejeebers out of me!
Surprise! 🙂
Sorry, I’ve found the humanize thing in stats now, but it said this: Today you have had 281 views.
That’s about the same number of people in Igandu train disaster. Thanks. You really made my day! 😦
I feel so much better now…
We discovered this was happening, and made some tweaks to it today to avoid things showing up like disasters.
Wee. I already enabled my surprise me. Can’t wait to be surprised. 🙂
Really curious what this might be about!!! I’m currently new to blogging, this ought to be interesting.
Fun mode activated!!!!
I found the Humanize option in Stats…
Beware of surprises masked by overcoats.
This one isn’t so we should be fine, right?
I made a post to test, nothing happened. Not surprised.
Hmmm….I may check the box, but warn everyone who reads my blog about it first. 😉
Okay, so I hit the ‘this post is awesome’ button. I’m waiting with great anticipation for my surprise…
Though Mr. Mullenweg, in perhaps his first professional encounter with art critics, noted worriedly that 563 of those people had already decided to turn the art off.
“The opt-out rate,” he said, recasting the age-old language of creative rejection in the precise words of the technologist, “is higher than I would like.”
I think people are turning it off because it wasn’t working and/or they couldn’t see the videos.
Here: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/next/archives/2010/04/innovation_tech.html
OK…I’m ready to activate the box …
As my grandson would say, “YIKES!”
(= I hope it is serendipity. I hope, I hope, I hope. =)
surprise me… i’m a newcomer here… so not surprised at all…. ^_^
Always up for new and interesting ways to kill time…
OK, I have read the NY Times, and I cannot find anything – Matt, old chap – pray tell what has happened?
I love this feature! Checking stats are my favorite– especially to find out new weird and wacky facts! 😀
Okay. I see something new on my hosted blog under WordPress stats “Humanize”. Is that the thing or is there more to this?
Nice one that Humanize btw
hmmm…I guess I’ll give it a try. lets see how it’ll go
‘Tis monday! let’s hear the details!
Thanks Matt! 😀
I turned it on. 😀
New on Word Press. Need help on how to use this site. Attended a publisher’s lecture this evening at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. A Literary Agent told me that blogging on WordPress was mandatory. However, HOW do you do it?
I’d like to blog about ways to save our schools from crashing – from a 50 year perspective as a teacher – especially how to solve the reading crisis.
Where do I start?
Thanks,
Mary
How nice! Not only can you think you have a super awesome post but you can actually mark it that it IS one.
Breaking down the stats by humanizing them, gives a more casual acccount of what we do. Almost like you’re talking one on one to us.
Um…..the humanizing is a surprise, right? Or was it always there on the stats page…. Yikes. I can’t remember. You know….it’s an age thing.
Finally, stuff! This is awesome…and surprising. 😀
jajajaja, very nice! love it!
wow i am so curious