4 ms·

> In fact I'd say no one comes to wordle just to play a word game for 5 minutes and then forget about it. I do. And I'd be surprised if I'm the only one.

julian55 5y ago
You're not.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
paxys 5y ago
Sure you aren't the only one, but looking at real data vs anecdotes (https://morningconsult.com/2022/01/20/wordle-millennials/ https://morningconsult.com/2022/01/20/wordle-millennials/), 59% of adults and 73% of millennials who play wordle are sharing their results on social media.
- dingleberry9 5y ago
  If 73% of millennials starting tweeting about their bowel movements tomorrow, would you be trying to monetize the toilet as the hottest new social network? I told my Mom I solved last night's Wordle in two. That's making conversation about a shared interest. It's the reprehensible worst of this industry to pivot that interest into exploiting it at the source simply because it exists. Put succinctly: in no rational world is my having a conversation with someone about Wordle evidence that it needs a Sign in with Facebook button. It already has a share button, implemented in probably the most respectful way possible. Absolutely nothing needs to be changed. Wordle is perfect user-respecting technology in any way. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that every change you have in mind to improve it will make it significantly worse because you disagree with my assessment.
- florkledorkle 5y ago
  If 73% of millennials started tweeting about their bowel movements tomorrow, would you be trying to monetize the toilet as the hottest new social network? Social media is a communication tool. What you’re seeing is evidence that normal human beings share interests and discuss them. That is not automatic evidence that the interest needs to be technologically exploited at the source. That this is not immediately clear is a significant driver behind the most reprehensible parts of the computing industry. I also think you’re overlooking that “I solved it in four! Yay!” is a mild extension of the anecdotes you’re hearing about five minutes and forget (they’re not mutually exclusive). I bet even the engineers who spent the last couple weekends solving for the optimal word are ready to put that bag down, too, and are probably just as strongly in that five minute group. It already has a Share button that is implemented in the most respectful way possible for a user. Wordle’s backlog is precisely zero items long. Anything you’d do to it to consider social media would make it fundamentally worse. That you think it’s a social network in waiting leaves a metallic taste in my mouth and a bunch of despair for where we are.
  - trynewideas 5y ago
    > If 73% of millennials started tweeting about their bowel movements tomorrow, would you be trying to monetize the toilet as the hottest new social network? This is HN, do you really want to know how that question would be answered?
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - nr2x 5y ago
      A question that can only be answered in the form of a VC pitch deck.
  - selcuka 5y ago
    > If 73% of millennials started tweeting about their bowel movements tomorrow, would you be trying to monetize the toilet as the hottest new social network? Isn't that exactly how tiktok was born?
  - jallen_dot_dev 5y ago
    If you could monetize the toilet, you would make a shitload of money.
    - dhosek 5y ago
      We have a winner
    - screenbreakout 5y ago
      We could, biogas digestors are a thing :-); we do plumbing is a highly paid profession and people waste enormous amounts of ressources (think of all that water we waste!) to take a crap in "the right environment" even though imo "Turkish" toilets provide a better position for bowel evacuation...
- shawabawa3 5y ago
  > 59% of adults and 73% of millennials Weird breakdown choice, again with the infantilizing of millennials. All millenials are adults
Haydos585x2 5y ago
My favourite part is that I don't need to care or think about it once I'm done. I can have a nice little puzzle to start the day and then move on.
- djur 5y ago
  I can say that it captured my social group precisely because 1) the clipboard-based sharing works just as well in our private chat as it does on Twitter or Facebook and 2) the total lack of ads, monetization, or growth-hacking gimmicks meant that people felt comfortable sharing their results without feeling like they're spamming their friends.
mbreese 5y ago
I played it this way. And then I showed my wife and kids. For a few days we played over the family group chat. But now I'm on a group Messages chat with my wife's family (they are all non-techies). They all started playing it independent of us and we just got added to the group. It's funny how it spreads... the ease of sharing results is what I think has really driven the popularity.

julian55 5y ago

You're not.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

paxys 5y ago

Sure you aren't the only one, but looking at real data vs anecdotes (https://morningconsult.com/2022/01/20/wordle-millennials/ https://morningconsult.com/2022/01/20/wordle-millennials/), 59% of adults and 73% of millennials who play wordle are sharing their results on social media.

dingleberry9 5y ago
If 73% of millennials starting tweeting about their bowel movements tomorrow, would you be trying to monetize the toilet as the hottest new social network? I told my Mom I solved last night's Wordle in two. That's making conversation about a shared interest. It's the reprehensible worst of this industry to pivot that interest into exploiting it at the source simply because it exists. Put succinctly: in no rational world is my having a conversation with someone about Wordle evidence that it needs a Sign in with Facebook button. It already has a share button, implemented in probably the most respectful way possible. Absolutely nothing needs to be changed. Wordle is perfect user-respecting technology in any way. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that every change you have in mind to improve it will make it significantly worse because you disagree with my assessment.
florkledorkle 5y ago
If 73% of millennials started tweeting about their bowel movements tomorrow, would you be trying to monetize the toilet as the hottest new social network? Social media is a communication tool. What you’re seeing is evidence that normal human beings share interests and discuss them. That is not automatic evidence that the interest needs to be technologically exploited at the source. That this is not immediately clear is a significant driver behind the most reprehensible parts of the computing industry. I also think you’re overlooking that “I solved it in four! Yay!” is a mild extension of the anecdotes you’re hearing about five minutes and forget (they’re not mutually exclusive). I bet even the engineers who spent the last couple weekends solving for the optimal word are ready to put that bag down, too, and are probably just as strongly in that five minute group. It already has a Share button that is implemented in the most respectful way possible for a user. Wordle’s backlog is precisely zero items long. Anything you’d do to it to consider social media would make it fundamentally worse. That you think it’s a social network in waiting leaves a metallic taste in my mouth and a bunch of despair for where we are.
- trynewideas 5y ago
  > If 73% of millennials started tweeting about their bowel movements tomorrow, would you be trying to monetize the toilet as the hottest new social network? This is HN, do you really want to know how that question would be answered?
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - nr2x 5y ago
    A question that can only be answered in the form of a VC pitch deck.
- selcuka 5y ago
  > If 73% of millennials started tweeting about their bowel movements tomorrow, would you be trying to monetize the toilet as the hottest new social network? Isn't that exactly how tiktok was born?
- jallen_dot_dev 5y ago
  If you could monetize the toilet, you would make a shitload of money.
  - dhosek 5y ago
    We have a winner
  - screenbreakout 5y ago
    We could, biogas digestors are a thing :-); we do plumbing is a highly paid profession and people waste enormous amounts of ressources (think of all that water we waste!) to take a crap in "the right environment" even though imo "Turkish" toilets provide a better position for bowel evacuation...
shawabawa3 5y ago
> 59% of adults and 73% of millennials Weird breakdown choice, again with the infantilizing of millennials. All millenials are adults

Haydos585x2 5y ago

My favourite part is that I don't need to care or think about it once I'm done. I can have a nice little puzzle to start the day and then move on.

djur 5y ago
I can say that it captured my social group precisely because 1) the clipboard-based sharing works just as well in our private chat as it does on Twitter or Facebook and 2) the total lack of ads, monetization, or growth-hacking gimmicks meant that people felt comfortable sharing their results without feeling like they're spamming their friends.

mbreese 5y ago

I played it this way. And then I showed my wife and kids. For a few days we played over the family group chat. But now I'm on a group Messages chat with my wife's family (they are all non-techies). They all started playing it independent of us and we just got added to the group. It's funny how it spreads... the ease of sharing results is what I think has really driven the popularity.