Image courtesy of Bitterjug.
I just posted a summary of the cost, time spent, and “things learned” after 30 days of running the Human Census Project.
Going along with that theme, looking into a crystal ball… what do you see in the future for Human Census?
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If you have any free time, I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of these… 
a) What would you keep or change about the site?
b) What topics would you like to see more more of?
c) What motivates you to visit and/or comment?
d) How long should questions be open for comments– only that day, or indefinitely?
e) Does Human Census have potential to become an “actual business”, or is it better as a cool website/online community?
July 24, 2007 at 19:43
Maybe it’s awkward if I answer this question, but hey…
In the future, hmmm… I think there is a definite potential for “Solve A World Problem Wednesday”, to become really, really valuable. And I think the questions during the rest of the week are fun.
a) Keep: all the awesome comments. Change: make it more interesting to you.
b) Topics people care about… but not sure what those are! I know what I think is interesting, but I’d like to get a better idea of what everyone else wants to hear about.
c) It’s “my baby”.
d) I think having the questions open for longer would promote great discussions, which would be awesome.
e) I’m not sure, but it being a “business” (something with a product/service that people pay for) doesn’t make sense yet.
July 24, 2007 at 21:13
Human Census has been great fun for me. I enjoy visiting almost daily to answer and read answers from others.
a) I would ask questions of depth. So far, it feels like those awkward phone calls I had with a girl I had a crush on: “What’s your favorite food?”, “What’s your favorite color?”, “If you could be a flower, which one would you choose?” Maybe the first 30 days was the dating period. I’m ready to get more serious and philosophical.
b) See response to a). Basically, the questions should focus on meaningful issues and topics. I’m not suggesting we debate politics. I also think a silly question now and then is good.
c) Human beings like to be heard. Granted, we respond by typing comments. But I feel like I have a voice. I’m highly opinionated and don’t mind sharing.
d) I think questions should be open for a few days. I like the idea of posting daily questions but don’t always get to respond that day. Plus, if questions are thought provoking, I may actually think a bit before answering. I could also revisit my response and respond again.
e) I don’t think so. I would thing a business would have to be more topic focused. Remember Peanuts and Lucy’s question booth? To me, Human Census is kind of a modern version of that.
It would also be nice to know a little (if possible) about the other commenters. Do they have similar interests? Are there opportunities to develop business relationships? Are they in my area? I also like the idea of offering others the opportunity to ask questions. One way to do this would be to post a topic or keyword and instead of seeking answers, solicit questions about the topic. Sorta like how Jeopardy gives the answer and the contestants provide the question.
July 24, 2007 at 23:52
HC project is fun and interesting all around. I see a good future, but it depends on participation too.
Moving HC to its own domain was a good move. A possible good change would be to consider revamping or finding out how others are using the Questions We’ve Asked and Answered page. I have to be honest, I don’t use it because I would prefer a Search form to search for a topic of my interest. I like the Significant and Insignificant categories, but maybe more detailed would be good like, Food, Politics, Fashion, Morals etc.
I come here for entertainment as well as a chance to answer a question that will make me think. I am a busy person (as we all seem to be) and coming here gives me a a little break to think ‘outside the box’.
I like the idea of leaving comments open longer than a day but not indefinitely. Set a standard time frame whether its 3 days or 5 days, something you like. Indefinitely would mess up the flow.
As with any project it could become a business, or at least a way to make some extra cash. Avoid the advertising route if possible and go with the value-added service. You may be able to allow companies to pay for a polling type question like Facebook Polls does. (within reason)
Keep up the good work Carolynn! As time allows I plan to participate more and more and will volunteer to help when you need it!
July 25, 2007 at 09:47
Pull a Ze and extend it for one full year. By the time you pull it, people will have gotten on board and follow you to what ever you do next. The one-year timeline creates a buzz, but is short enough that the project doesn’t dribble away as your disinterest grows.
Skipping weekends isn’t a bad idea. 5 posts a week? That’s good.
Now, to specifics:
a) What would you keep or change about the site?
Hrm. I like it as is for the most part. Maybe a “New Here” link that has highlights or something?
b) What topics would you like to see more more of?
Variety is the spice of life. Deep questions like solve a world problem Wednesday interspersed with totally trivial items like “what is your favorite beverage and why?” keep it interesting. I think questions should ask for a little explanation and background…no one word answers!
c) What motivates you to visit and/or comment?
Time, mostly.
d) How long should questions be open for comments– only that day, or indefinitely?
About a week. My free time is variable, and when I have the time, I tend to peruse recent questions and wish I could comment.
e) Does Human Census have potential to become an “actual business”, or is it better as a cool website/online community?
It could be monetized through the “related links” that you add to each day’s summary, but you might have to move them to the question. Businesses could use the questions to pose their own (simple) surveys. I don’t know how much you’d have to tell about who sponsored a given question, though.
And you can always do the “ad thang”. boring.
July 25, 2007 at 11:03
a) What would you keep or change about the site?
I like the format of the site overall. If there’s anything I’d change, I would like to be able to see past questions more easily, for example by categorizing them by topic or searching for a question.
b) What topics would you like to see more more of?
Any topic. That’s what makes it interesting — seeing the different types of questions that are asked.
c) What motivates you to visit and/or comment?
It’s an entertaining idea. The only times I don’t visit or comment are if I’m too busy that day or if it’s a question that I don’t have a good answer to.
d) How long should questions be open for comments– only that day, or indefinitely?
Indefinitely, but is there a way to limit the voting to just the first day?
e) Does Human Census have potential to become an “actual business”, or is it better as a cool website/online community?
I think it has potential to become a business if it transforms from the format of a blog to a “real” site by adding features like searching for questions (mentioned above). I see two potential ways for it to make money: (1) via ads like many other sites, but if you group questions together by topic, your ads would be more targeted, and (2) as a survey service that companies could pay for (e.g., once a week, the question is asked by a paying customer who may want to know if people prefer Coke to Pepsi, which movies people plan to watch during the summer, etc.)
July 25, 2007 at 13:18
My only suggestion for change is to extend the time the questions are open. Maybe consider why they need closing, and if those reasons balance out the idea that more data might be gained in future?