Sep 29 2007
Happy Birthday 2.0
Well today is my birthday and I thought I’d use it as a test bed of sorts for things 2.0. Interesting phenomenon birthdays. Here’s an interesting link to a site all about birthday traditions from around the world. Enjoy!
As with all discussions nowadays, I guess its only appropriate to make some sort of comparison against Facebook – It is the competitive benchmark of all things isn’t it? I’ve used FB to remind me of friends’ birthdays on a number of occasions but, is it really the preferred channel for saying “Happy Birthday”? Lets look at the numbers:
Q. how many people sent me virtual gifts on Facebook?
A. 1 (Thanks Robin)
Q. how many people wrote to me on my Facebook wall to say Happy Birthday?
A. 1 (Thanks Richard)
Q. how many people sent me Facebook email to say Happy Birthday?
A. 4 (That was so nice of them wasn’t it?)
Q. how many people sent me a regular email for the occasion?
A. 20+
Q. How many people sent me an e Card
A. 3 (yes folks, people still do this!)
Q. how many people actually called me?
A. I didn’t really count but it was by far the largest number! I was on one conference call yesterday where I was ambushed by perhaps a dozen or more well wishers.
With all the web 2.0 ways with which to communicate — is Facebook the standard? I guess that depends on your social network. Apparently, its not my network’s standard. Not yet anyway!
So which channel do I prefer? All of them, of course! Whether you use Facebook, Outlook or even that old day timer/planner (you know who you are) – make sure you remember to say happy birthday to your friends and acquaintances. Remember, its not about the technology — it is always about the people.
BTW, I was worried that the one (most important) person that hadn’t wished me a Happy Birthday yet wouldn’t have before I posted this. Well, I just lucked out — she called! (thanks mom!)
Mike, thanks for the Birthday 2.0 wishes, and the same back to you. Should’ve known you were a Libra.
Considering that I’d only been on Facebook a week, I was amazed that I got 3 birthday wishes yesterday through Facebook. (Though no one sent me a jellyfish, which is what I was really hoping for.) Having my birthdate right there at the top of my profile made it front-and-center.
Like you, by far the greatest number of birthday wishes came through old-fashioned channels — snail mail, phone calls, or even in person (there was a lot of eating involved). Nothing like tradition, though it’s nice to mix it up with new things too.