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Like counts are interesting, but they don’t tell you how a link spreads on Facebook. That’s why Stamen Design has explored how viral photos spread across the network — and the visualisation they’ve created is damn pretty.
The company analysed the spread of three of the most shared images on Facebook, all of which were photos published on George Takei’s page. They explain:
Each visualization is made up of a series of branches, starting from George. As each branch grows, re-shares split off onto their own arcs. Sometimes, these re-shares spawn a new generation of re-shares, and sometimes they explode in short-lived bursts of activity. The two different colors show gender, and each successive generation becomes lighter as time goes by.
The result, shown in the video below, is interesting. You see a stunning burst of sharing initially, and then the links spread between different sizes of groups. I like it when you see a new big burst—as popularity is piqued amongst a certain group of acquaintances. [Facebook Stories via Flowing Data]
Watch Randi Zuckerberg Have a Facebook Freakout Over Her Photo Going Viral
Why Videos Go Viral
How Rumours Spread Online
Do they take into cross and return shares, where someone sees something on Facebook and tweets the pic on twitter, then someone sees the pic on twitter and posts it on Facebook
cant believe how gullible people are on social networks with their sharing crap, from the old facebook will be charging to share this and we will beat cancer,
then the last one i noticed doing the rounds was the warning one where if any agency is reading this disclaimer one.
and then you see the next 50 comments to it say shared or done, i think what the fuck, how stupid are you people then i usually get into grief for telling them (politely) that they are part of the problem
there rant over
i feel better now
You’re on g+ now, leave the sordid past behind.
all my biker friends are on facebook so alas i am Bisocial