0% willing to pay for Twitter

[JonInMiddleGA]

That's the finding in a new study that's getting the headline but for people who enjoy this sort of thing, there's actually quite a few interesting tidbits in the Center For the Digital Future (at USC) annual report.

Among the other findings:
-- 82% internet usage among Americans, highest ever recorded
-- 19 hours is the average American's time online
-- Gap in internet usage increasing among age groups, 100% of under 24's are web active, but only 85% of 36-45, only 81% of 46-55.
-- Many new media activities are still pretty unpopular with users over 24. 50% of internet users never IM, 79% never blog, 80% never chat, 85% never do phone calls online

Here's a link to the press release on the various results, which also cover things like trust (or lack thereof) in online information, attitudes about the internet & politics and the role of print newspapers today among other things.
http://www.digitalcenter.org/pdf/2010_digital_future_final_release.pdf

[Lathum]

* Top 10 online purchases -- 59 percent of Internet users said they purchase books or clothes online, followed by gifts (55 percent), travel (53 percent), electronics/appliances (47 percent), videos (46 percent), computers or peripherals (41 percent), software or games (40 percent), CDs (40 percent), and products for hobbies (38 percent).


Where's the pron?

[Greyroofoo]

Where's the pron?

people still pay for online pr0n?

[Lathum]

you mean you can get it free somewhere other than the images thread?

[sabotai]

I'm regressing. I used to IM, blog, chat and make phone calls online. Now I do none of them.

[jeff061]

Man, I've been a techno geek my entire life. I've never used twitter, didn't open up a Facebook account until a few months ago(haven't touched it since), hell didn't even have a personal cell phone until my work paid for it in 2005. Did have a very low ICQ# at one point though.

I can't believe Twitter hasn't blown over yet, I figured sooner or later the only way to get a decent following would to be a celebrity of some sort(if only z-list). Without the followers, what's the point? But I haven't used it, maybe it's easier to network than I'm thinking.

[Shkspr]

you mean you can get it free somewhere other than the images thread?

In real porn, unlike the images thread, the models pose without clothing or body paint on.

[Greyroofoo]

In real porn, unlike the images thread, the models pose without clothing or body paint on.

And they don't get boxed?

[Shkspr]

And they don't get boxed?

Depends on the specific fetish.

[Groundhog]

Where's the pron?

100% of internet pron users know how to keep their mouths shut.

[Groundhog]

My sole use of twitter (pretty much) is to see what random NBA players say when I'm bored and no one has posted anything interesting on facebook for awhile.

Though, to be fair, without twitter I'd never have seen JR Smith smoke blunts live on webcam with his homies, so maybe I owe them a couple of dollars for that experience. :D

[stevew]

twitter is the greatest thing ever.

[Subby]

twitter plus tweetdeck is an incredible information aggregator...

[Passacaglia]

-- 19 hours is the average American's time online


I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that's not per day.

[Ksyrup]

That's what I was going to ask... although I had the opposite assumption you did!

[Apathetic Lurker]

never had a cellphone but use skype all the time...guess i'm strange

and over 40

[Maple Leafs]

Twitter's been incredibly valuable for me in building/maintaining a readership for my blog. I'd pay $100 a month for it, easily, because that's the kind of value I get out of it.

Of course, if they did charge for it, most people would leave, which means that it would lose all value for me. So it's worth a ton to me now when it's free, but close to nothing if they charged for it. There's the rub, I guess.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that's not per day.

Only for me ;)

For everyone else, that's per week.

[Passacaglia]

Although what constitutes 'being online', anyway? If you've got a cell phone with a data plan, and keep it on you all the time, are you online all the time? What if you're sleeping, but the phone is on the nightstand next to you? Bear in mind that I didn't bother reading the article, so feel free to ignore me if these questions are answered there.

[DaddyTorgo]

Only for me ;)

For everyone else, that's per week.

Really? Is that not including time at work then? Let's see...I spend maybe 5 hours a day sleeping...so I'd figure I'm online-online 17 hours a day on average?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Really? Is that not including time at work then? Let's see...I spend maybe 5 hours a day sleeping...so I'd figure I'm online-online 17 hours a day on average?

Okay, that's the figure for everyone except me and DT. :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Although what constitutes 'being online', anyway? If you've got a cell phone with a data plan, and keep it on you all the time, are you online all the time? What if you're sleeping, but the phone is on the nightstand next to you? Bear in mind that I didn't bother reading the article, so feel free to ignore me if these questions are answered there.

I'd guess that it considers actively doing something online in that time, although I'm guessing.

The press release version says
The amount of time that Internet users spend online has grown in each year of the Digital Future studies, and has now reached an average of 19 hours per week. Even though more than two-thirds of Americans have gone online for a decade, the largest year-to-year increases in weekly online use have been reported in the two most recent Digital Future Studies.

For $500 to get the full report you can probably find more details about the parameters, but I ain't that curious myself ;)

I make my guess based on their description a few sentences later about the non-work reasons they use the internet at work ...among them general Web surfing, chatting, instant messaging, and reading and writing e-mails.

Incidentally, the online time at work average is 9 hours, meaning the at home average would be 10 (to make up the 19 total).

[DaddyTorgo]

I'd guess that it considers actively doing something online in that time, although I'm guessing.

The press release version says
The amount of time that Internet users spend online has grown in each year of the Digital Future studies, and has now reached an average of 19 hours per week. Even though more than two-thirds of Americans have gone online for a decade, the largest year-to-year increases in weekly online use have been reported in the two most recent Digital Future Studies.

For $500 to get the full report you can probably find more details about the parameters, but I ain't that curious myself ;)

I make my guess based on their description a few sentences later about the non-work reasons they use the internet at work ...among them general Web surfing, chatting, instant messaging, and reading and writing e-mails.

Incidentally, the online time at work average is 9 hours, meaning the at home average would be 10 (to make up the 19 total).

2 hours a day? Who are these newbs? I get in 2 hours a day at home before 10pm. Weak sauce.

[cartman]

Twitter also serves as a great "status check" for online sites. If I'm having trouble with Google Apps, Amazon, Newegg, etc., I search Twitter to see how many people are bitching about the site being down.

[sterlingice]

Really? 100% internet penetration (ok, stop laughing at me juxtaposing those two words)? I find that hard to believe. Tv and phone were never at 100% at their peak, if I remember right- they were 98 or 99 but never 100.

Also, some of their other numbers seem a little sloppy so I'm a little dubious but, iirc, this is a pretty well regarded survey

SI

[spleen1015]

Put in the same category with Jim and DT. I am online probably 16 hours a day.

Granted most tv can be found online now, but I would give up tv before the internet. The only thing I don't think I can watch online is NFL games. I would still need a tv for that. Otherwise, the internet works for me.