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If you are a frequent user of Facebook, I am sure you have come across some of the funny comment questions that are ravaging the social giant. Sometimes it can become a little overwhelming, but for the most part, they are kind of fun. If you have no clue what I am talking about then just let me explain. It’s simple really. All you do is come up with a funny half sentence and then let all your friends and subscribers fill in what should go at the end of it. It might sound really boring, but some of the answers are actually quite funny. Well, if you have a lot to do, this is of course nothing you should spend your time with.

The company Hunch Inc. has taken the whole thing a little farther though. They took this simple idea and asked their users, some 80 million of them, a few question that all started with “Have you ever…” If you think these questions were the usual bunch, you are wrong. They were all unusual for one and the same infographic, and when looking at the data derived from these questions, you quickly start to see that the world is not as random as you thought it was.

What I mean is that more people than you think have, for example, won more than $100 on a contest and so forth. This infographic has to be the most random one I have ever written about. However, I found it intriguing since it had such a broad spectrum. I mean, usually an infographic stays within a certain topic, but this one asks the questions that some of us really want to be asked but never are. It’s especially interesting that the data is derived from over 80 million users who shared a bit of their own lives in order to answer these questions. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I have ever written about an infographic with such an extensive demographic either. Intriguing!

Click Infographic To Enlarge

Via: [Daily Infographic]

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I’m a big fan of Foursquare, the location-based social media site that allows you to “check-in” to various locations from your smartphone, and have been since I began using it more than a year ago. Apparently, I’m not the only one, because users check in to venues more than 3 million times per day.

I value you the mayorships I’ve been awarded at venues I’ve checked into more than anyone else during a certain period of time, and I get a thrill out of stealing a mayorship from another Foursquare user or earning points for such feats as going to the movies a lot, hanging out near big bodies of water, or being at an establishment with more than 50 people at the same time.

You earn points as you acquire more badges for checking in at more places, and you can even offer tips to other users about locations where you’ve been. For instance, if a restaurant has a “2 Can Dine For $9.99 on Wednesday” special, you can share that with other users as a tip at that particular location. Or, if a bar you frequent offers a special, such as a free drink to the reigning mayor every time he or she checks in, that’s a plus, too. During my time as mayor of @BeerBoysWB, a sports bar in my hometown, I got my first drink of the night for free every time I was there! How’s that for rewarding customer loyalty while building a business through social media at the same time?

However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say it gets annoying when people constantly share the mundane-type check-ins on their social media sites. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cringed looking at a Facebook friend check-in to the gas station, supermarket, or roadway again. You can see Facebook and Twitter friends’ check-ins if users choose to link their Foursquare accounts to their personal Facebook or Twitter page. While it can be fun to share with your Facebook and Twitter friends when you’re at an exciting amusement park, a cool destination location, or a new restaurant you’ve never tried, some people overdo it.

I’ve gone on a friend’s Facebook page many times to find the entire feed consisting of Foursquare check-ins. Even more so, I hate when I see them stream through my newsfeed all day long.  While it’s great that check-ins can be connected to other sites, I wish some people would do so a little more sparingly.

Since Foursquare has a prompt prior to completing a check-in that asks if you want to share the update with your social media networks, I sometimes opt not to send every single check-in to my Twitter feed. On Foursquare, your friends expect to see both exciting and mundane check-ins. That’s what they signed up for. My Twitter friends; however, do not.

What about you? Do you agree that you shouldn’t send every single check-in to Facebook or Twitter so you don’t bore that particular audience? Or, do you think all is fair game in the world of social media?

Image Credits: [Media Funnel] [Social Media Examiner] [intomobile]

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It seems real flesh and blood people aren’t the only ones addicted to Facebook these days. Apparently video game characters are too, at least if you ask artist Andrew Golden. His collection of fake Facebook photos below is almost as clever as the comments he’s added beneath them.

It’s fun to see Princess Peach post the classic Facebook duckface photo, to see Zelda and Link’s engagement photo, and to watch Pac-Man gettin his blink on. It’s a little strange to see Mario and Luigi being players in the club, but I like it. The comments on the Goro (Mortal Kombat) picture are the best.

If you’d like to see the enlarged illustrations where you can read the comments easier, just click over to Andrew Golden’s deviantART page. You’ll also be able to see more of his fabulous art. Seeing these characters post photos on Facebook gives them such a human quality, but that is ironic in itself since we hear people say all the time that we should get off Facebook and live our real lives. Retro video game character art is always one of my favorites, and when it’s combined with something as modern as social media, well, it doesn’t get much better than that!

Via: [Cnet]

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It’s a fact that men behave differently than women do when they are out in a club partying. I have to admit though that it’s been pretty much ages ago since I’ve had the opportunity to party. The exciting work around here at Bit Rebels is hogging all my attention, but I shouldn’t complain, right? Well, the fact still remains that men and women really are two different species. At least if you consider the saying that women are from Venus and men from Mars. What if we traded places just for a night, what then? I think Diana touched on this subject no too long ago with a daring photo session of some kind. So let’s build on that thought for a second.

A short movie directed by Jay Diaz called “The Flip Side” is not only an interesting look at how the world would look like if women were like men and men were like women, but it is also a devilishly funny video overall. I kept laughing and nodding my head through the whole thing, and I promise it won’t escape you that these behaviors must have come from somewhere, right? Well, they are actually depicting… you! All of us!

It could take your entire life to figure out why it is that we keep being so far apart and yet so close, so let’s not delve into that. Just look through this video and count silently to yourself just how many of these behaviors you harbor. It’s more than one, I tell you. Now, what is the purpose of this video anyway? I guess its purpose is the same as any other movie that you have ever seen, to entertain us all. It certainly lives up to that, and I think even though it has already gone viral, to some extent, it still has some life in it. I have checked it out at least three times already. This is some funny shit!

Via: [Caveman Circus]

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Artists everywhere seem to be inspired by computer keyboard keys. We’ve featured so much fabulous art created by using those old recycled keys. I never realized until I started writing here at Bit Rebels all the different ways those keys can be used. This article about the guy who covered his entire car with brightly colored keyboard keys is definitely my favorite. I’m sure it would be hard to lose that car in a parking lot.

Leave it to photographer Henry Hargreaves, whom I’ve written about many times before, to come up with yet a new and very geeky use for some old recycled keyboard keys.

He used them to recreate some of Yoda’s most famous words of wisdom in an environment that actually resembles Dagobah (the swamp). Prop stylist Sara Guido assisted him so it would all turn out just right. I love these! In typical Henry Hargreaves style, every detail is taken into consideration including the lighting, the colors and the texture of this look. If you’d like to see some other fun photography by Henry Hargreaves, click over to his bacon font, his exploding eggs or his rainbow lunch. Very nice!

Via: [Junk Culture]

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When someone mentions Photoshop today, no one even raises an eyebrow. When you look in magazines, especially fashion magazines, everyone knows that every single picture you see in there is photoshopped beyond recognition. It’s just how the advertising world works it seems. This powerful tool that is at pretty much everyone’s disposal has truly changed the world we live in. It’s a way to become more perfect, or at least that’s what people think. Where you and I see perfection, the photographer is most likely to see flaws and bring out the Photoshop software to brush it up a little just so they can feel a little bit more confident.

Some people go even further than that. If we take a look at the Greek marble busts for example, we see a whole different beauty ideal than what we see today. Back then, women and men didn’t look like sticks. They had curves even though they had muscles. Where did that ideal go, and why did we leave it in the dust? Well, there is one simple answer to that, and it is because people became more self-aware. We can’t stand imperfection, and we constantly strive to perfect the resources that were given to us at birth, sadly.

What would classic art look like if we used the Photoshop technique to make it a little bit more up to date for example? Quite different, right? Well, now you have the opportunity to check that out actually. A project called the “Venus Project,” undertaken by Anna Utopia Giordano, is certainly going to blow your mind. Gone are the aesthetics of fine art, and what’s left behind is a really bad up to date… illustration, or at least that is what it looks like to me. Nah, I am more of a fan of the original art than some of the sticks that we see as models in today’s ads and commercials. But, it’s a pretty cool look at how powerful Photoshop really is.

Via: [UFunk - French]

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There are a lot of creative uses for duct tape, but of all of them, I think this one is my favorite. These roses are really pretty and very realistic looking, and the best part is, they don’t require watering. You could even wipe them off with a damp cloth when they get dusty, which is really nice. Thanks to this new video by DIYHacksAndHowTos, now you can make your own duct tape roses to give to your sweetie!

Since the roses will be the same color as whatever duct tape you buy, if you think about it, you could get really creative with the colors you want to create for your roses. You could put together a rainbow colored bouquet, or keep it simple and traditional by making red or yellow roses.

If you would like to make these, just click over to Realistic Duct Tape Rose for the complete tutorial. You can purchase colored duct tape at any local hardware store (or Walmart). If you’d like, you can even buy it online at Duck Brand. I wonder how long it would take to make a few dozen of these beauties. Of course, if you don’t want the hassle of making these yourself, you could always buy some already made long-stemmed duct tape roses. They sell them on Duct Tape Fashion.

Via: [Craft]

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I first started following @MarySarahMusic on Twitter in 2009. At that time, she was only 14 years old. We immediately became friends, and for the past three years, I’ve called her my Twitter little sister. She and my son, @toad_mario, who was 8 years old at the time, also became close Twitter friends.

Over the past few years, many of us who are on Twitter every day have watched Mary Sarah evolve into a star. We’ve seen her sing the National Anthem in Texas, we’ve seen her sing for the Red Cross, and we’ve seen her sing countless covers that sometimes sound even better than the originals.

When I learned that she met The Oakridge Boys on Twitter and how that opened so many doors for her, I knew I had to write about it. The Oakridge Boys are an American country and gospel group that has been around since the 1940s. Some of the members of the band have been singing together for over 40 years.

Mary Sarah simply did what a lot of musicians do, she shared her videos in social media. After a brief introduction by @DeanOfMusic, she started tweeting @joebonsall and @DUANEALLEN of The Oakridge Boys. They saw her videos and were blown away by her talent. They soon invited Mary Sarah and her entire family to meet them, and this all took place on the public timeline on Twitter. They all met, and Mary Sarah even got to sing on stage that night after being introduced by Joe.

Mary Sarah told me, “It opened lots of doors for me in Nashville, and I’m currently working on a full length country legends project which will be coming out this summer or fall. Never underestimate the power of Twitter! It was THE reason (and prayer of course) that I was blessed to sing with The Oakridge Boys and become friends with them. Mr. Joe says that one day, when I make it big and he’s off the road, he’s gonna come back and be my road manager. We might even do a song together soon! #BOOM and #w00t”

What an inspiring story! It’s a great reminder that anything is truly possible if you always believe in your dreams and never ever give up. This is yet another reason why I love Twitter so much. Mary Sarah, you know we are huge fans of yours, and we love you dearly. It has truly been a pleasure getting to know you, and we wish you a lifetime of continued success!

EVERYTHING MARY SARAH

Website | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | ReverbNation

Mary Sarah and The Oakridge Boys back in 2011

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Here is something new, at least to me! I knew that infographics were kind of popular and all that, and that is only one reason why we publish them here at Bit Rebels. But that they are popular to the point that someone would actually put together a whole event in their honor had totally escaped my attention. Sure, I might not be the one who attends these events on a regular basis, but it certainly would be cool to visit one sometime to see what it is all about and how it is structured. Now I just know that you are scratching your head thinking, “What the heck is this dude talking about?” It’s simple really, so just read on, and it shall become clear to you.

There are actually entire conferences held around the world for everyone who is interested in information design. They have seemingly been going on for years, and I guess I look like an infographic noob now that I came out and said that I totally had no idea about them. But, they are out there, and this year Infographer.ru has put together an infographic that lays out all 20 (!) conferences that are going to happen during 2012.

All in all, the infographic lays out more than 40 conferences during 2011 and 2012. That’s an insane amount of information design conferences if you ask me, and I think it’s great that these things are finally getting into a more serious arena. Now, I guess a bunch of you people are ready to start planning your journey around the world to attend these events. Go for it! Snap a few pictures, and let us know what was good and what was bad about them. We are eager to know about it from you until we actually have the opportunity to check them out ourselves. By the looks of it, they seem pretty cool since I am a huge statistics junkie, and I turn even the most ordinary data into a sheet of geeky averages, estimates and trajectories. I know, it’s a bad habit that I can’t seem to break.

Click Infographic To Enlarge

Via: [Cool Infographics]

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If you’re like me, time just slips away from you when you are online. You think you are just going to spend a few minutes replying to some people and posting a few short status updates and then you will be on your way to other tasks. However, before you know it, it’s been a whole hour or maybe even three.

Does this happen to you too? Taking control of the time you spend on social media sites is important. Although social media can be fun and entertaining, living your real life is also important.

So how do you force yourself to log off of these websites in a timely manner so that you don’t feel as if you have wasted your entire day? Here are a few tips for breaking away from the online life that have worked well for me.

1. Set a time limit.

Before you log on, make sure you know the amount of time you have to tweet, Facebook, or reply to messages. If you have to, set an egg timer for 30 minutes and don’t spend a second longer online. This will allow you some time to communicate and socialize with online friends, but also allow you to control your day and what you are able to accomplish.

2. Turn your computer off and put down your phone when you aren’t using them.

This little trick will help you regain focus on the tasks you need to complete. If you are constantly checking social media sites for updates, nothing will get done. Trust me on this one. Put down the phone. Shut the computer off. You will find yourself full of ideas and feeling much more productive when you do.

3. Don’t log onto social media sites the minute you get home.

The time you want to waste online the most is exactly when you shouldn’t. The reason? Using social media the second you get home and want to unwind seems like a good idea, but really you will end up with hours wasted. Your brain wants to shut down at this time, so it’s so easy to get distracted from things you should be doing. Do something productive first, and then take a break with social media. You will find so much less time wasted.

Social media can be fun and so entertaining. Believe me, you are hearing this straight from a self-proclaimed Twitter addict. However, learning to shut down social media when you need to is important in order to create the real life you want.

Image Credits: [Austin Social Media Marketing] [Stefan Misaras Blog]