MySpace Bulletins and the Surveys We All Reposted

MySpace bulletins were posts that went out to everyone on your friends list at once, and surveys were long lists of personal questions people filled out and passed along. In the mid-2000s the two combined into one of the most addictive habits online. You filled out a survey at some ridiculous hour, posted it as a bulletin, and waited for your friends to read every answer.

How did MySpace bulletins work?

MySpace bulletins worked like a message to your whole friends list. You wrote a subject and a body, hit post, and it showed up on every friend's bulletin board. People used them for real announcements, like a party or a band show, but mostly they used them for surveys.

A bulletin's subject line decided whether anyone opened it, and people learned that fast. All caps and a pile of exclamation points meant it was urgent. Something mysterious like "read this. seriously." got the click every time.

What did a MySpace survey look like?

Every survey followed the same pattern: a big title in capital letters, a line saying "copy this, delete my answers, put yours," and then dozens of questions, each one a tiny chance to reveal something about yourself.

The classics went something like this:

• Last person you texted?
• What are you wearing right now?
• Do you have a crush?
• Ever been in love?
• Last song you listened to?
• What's under your bed?
• Who do you miss right now?
• Who will repost this first?

Some questions were harmless. Some were designed so one specific person would read your answer and know it was about them.

Surveys came in flavors

Over time they split into types. Basics covered name, birthday, eye color and siblings, which was easy but somehow still fun. This-or-that surveys asked Pepsi or Coke, beach or mountains, call or text, with no explanations allowed. The "last time" one wanted the last time you cried, laughed, lied or said I love you.

Then came the relationship survey, all crushes and first kisses and love at first sight, which was risky. The friends survey asked who your best friend was and who you'd call at 3am. And there was always a weird one full of questions that made no sense and were somehow the best ones.

The answers that mattered

Nothing on a survey mattered more than the answer about your crush. People typed "maybe ;)" or "you'll never know" or just a single initial, and then everyone at school spent the next day trying to figure out who it was.

Next in line was "Who will repost this first?" Getting named meant you had to repost, and nobody questioned that rule.

Why did everyone repost surveys?

Everyone reposted surveys because they were easy, personal and slightly risky. Answering one was a way to tell everyone something without having to say it directly. Reading your friends' answers was the best kind of snooping, because it was invited. Quiz results from sites like Quizilla did the same thing in a smaller package.

There was also a little social pressure. If everyone was posting the same survey, skipping it felt like sitting out a group photo.

The chain bulletins

These were close cousins of the chain emails that had been filling inboxes for years, just faster. "Repost this or you will have bad luck for 7 years." "MySpace is going to start charging money unless we repost this." "If you don't repost this, you don't love your mom." Nobody believed them. A lot of people reposted them anyway, just in case.

The 1am survey

The best surveys were filled out late at night. The answers got more honest as the questions went on, until "Do you have any regrets?" got a real answer you'd think about deleting in the morning. Usually you didn't.

After you posted, the real fun started. Friends commented on your answers, messaged you about the crush question, or posted their own version and tagged you back. A good survey could turn into a conversation that lasted all week.

Bulletins for real news

Not every bulletin was a survey. People announced band shows, birthday parties, lost phones ("new number, text me your name!") and big life news. Before group chats, a bulletin was the fastest way to tell everyone you knew something at once. It was a little like a public announcement board at school, only you were in charge of it.

▶

When surveys asked too much

Not every survey question was a good idea. Some asked for your full name, your school, your street or your mom's maiden name, which are exactly the things people use to guess passwords and security questions. A lot of people answered those without thinking twice.

If you fill out surveys today, keep it fun and skip anything that would help someone get into your accounts. Favorite cereal, yes. First pet's name and the street you grew up on, maybe not.

Why do surveys still work?

Surveys still work because they let you get to know someone without the awkwardness of asking. They give people permission to share small, specific things, like their favorite cereal or the song stuck in their head, that never come up in normal conversation. People still fill them out today, in group chats and anywhere else they can.

Pick one, set a timer for ten minutes and answer every question honestly. Then post it and see who notices. You'll be surprised what you remember about yourself, and it gives friends you haven't talked to in a while an easy reason to say hi.

Surveys and bulletins on FriendCrib

FriendCrib brought both back. Bulletins go out to all your friends at once. Surveys start with classics like "The 50 Questions Survey" and "This or That," and you can copy any survey to make your own version with new questions.

When you finish one, it shows up on your crib so friends can read your answers. You can even tag up to three friends to take it next with Pass It On. No bad luck if they don't. Probably.

Surveys used to bounce between MySpace, Xanga and LiveJournal and every message board with an off-topic section.

Now they can live on your crib.

Take the quiz: Which Away Message Are You? »