Homework 10,000

Do anything appropriate* on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Reddit, Pinterest (if you want to use a different social network, talk to me) and get 10,000 people to interact with you over the week from 7/17-7/23. This can be 10K likes on FB (note: you cannot count "views" on facebook), 10K RTs on Twitter, 10K shares / repins, 10K views on YouTube, etc. You must choose a single social media platform to count. You may not add likes on Facebook, retweets, and upvotes, for example. You must pick one.

You may not use a group or video that already exists. You must create something new on the day this assignment is released, and it must be something *you* create (i.e. you cannot post someone else's content and get credit for spreading that).

Track how many people are interacting and how.

Write up a 1 page single-spaced paper. The paper should contain the following.

  • Descibe what you created and why you decided to do that. How did your choice of facebook group / post / video relate to the goal of reaching 10,000 people?
  • Explain your strategy for getting people to participate. How did you spread the word? Who did you target and why? Use network principles to explain these choices.
  • Twice a day, at the same time (e.g. 10am and 10pm), record the number of people who have joined your group / followed / viewed. Make a chart (you must have a visual chart, but you may also include a table) that shows the growth of your idea over the 7 day period.
  • Analyze your success. What worked and what didn't? What could you have done differently? What were the best steps you took to get users? Justify this with network principles.

In addition to the paper, you must notify Prof. Golbeck of your activity and provide a link by 7/17. You will not receive credit if you do not do this.

You must have your activity up by 7/17 BUT NOT BEFORE THAT and track it through 7/23. Work on the write-up in the meantime and plug in your final results after the week has passed.

Grading (14 points total)

  • Notifying Prof. Golbeck of your idea - 2 points, 0 points for the whole assignment if not done by 7/17
  • Each section of the paper described above - 2 points
  • Number of people who join your network: log (# people) points
  • Hitting 10,000 people - 2 points extra credit

The paper is due by 7/24.

* appropriate means you should (1) not break the law, (2) not violate the SMS's terms of service, and (3) not do anything to get yourself or me in trouble. Do not post pornography or seriously objectionable material (Nazis, racial threats, etc). Do not threaten small animals in my name or yours (this happened once). Do not outright lie. If you have any questions, please talk to me ahead of time.


Summer 2018 Submissions (12pm 7/18)

Winter 2018 Submissions

Summer 2017 Submissions

Winter 2017 Submissions

Examples from last semester