What tweets do you want?

Some of you asked us to change the default message the scale currently tweets (by introducing fat mass or lean mass or the difference since the last weigh-in, etc…).

We have two requirements here : we want to keep it simple and user-friendly.
We believe that enabling fully customizable tweets will be to confusing for most of the users and adding too many variables in the tweets will let you with no place to make a personal comment (because of the 140 characters rule).

In order to keep it simple and user-friendly and also in order to implicate you in the decision, we’d like to have your opinion about the following propositions.

Let’s take an example : I just get my Withings scale and following my first weigh-in (180 lbs) I decide to start a diet to lose some weight. Thus on my Withings account, I enable the objective feature (see this post) to 170 lbs. The week after that, I weigh myself in and I get 178 lbs. Another week after, I weigh myself in and I get 177lbs. What would you like to see on Twitter :

Of course if you haven’t set up any weight objective, you’ll only get your weight (and potentially the difference with your last weigh-in).

ps : Don’t forget to answer the new poll of the month on the right side of the blog. It’s very important to us ;)

About Jeanne

Product manager @ Withings
This entry was posted in Withings tips & news and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.
  • Paul Nus

    Can't you let the user customize the message using replaceable variables?

    IE:

    %wc% = weight currently
    %wl% = weight lost since last
    %wt% = weight lost total
    %fm% = fat mass
    %wm% = weight mass
    etc…
    etc…

    Then I could do my OWN tweet!

    "Look at me! My current weight is %wc% and I've lost %wl%lbs. since my last visit and %wt%lbs. overall!!"

    All you need to do is save the format how I want and do a replace on the vars.

  • Nico

    Hi Paul, we first wanted to do so but as I said in the post above, we noticed that fully customizable tweets are too confusing for non computer-skilled users.

    Moreover, a fully cuztomizable tweet can lead to unrelevant tweets.
    Let's say you're trying to lose weight and your tweet is "my current weight is %wc% and I only have %wo% to lose to reach my objective".
    If ever you pass your objective on a specific weigh-in, the tweet will be unrelevant (it will say you still have "-2 lbs to lose" for instance) unless you think of changing the default tweet message just before weighing in…

  • Matt

    As a maintainer, I'm much more interested in the bodyfat numbers than the weight numbers, so I would like the option to tweet weight and BF% (and maybe target BF%)

    I realize most scales, most weight oriented sites, are targeted at those who want to lose weight. I lost my weight last year – now I wish sites considered the maintainers too!

  • Paul Nus

    Thanks for the reply Nico.

    While non computer-skilled users may have an issue with customized messages, what type of people are buying wifi scales and tying them to Twitter? While we all know as developers that some people won't "get it" right away, having the option of being able to customize makes sense.

    Can you not do the standard message by default and also give an option to do custom messages?

  • Jeanne

    @ Paul
    Don't forget that Twitter allows only 140 characters. According to what you wish to tweet (text + figures), you might not have enough space.

    And we want the tweet option to work for everybody, developers and the rest of us, poor mortals :)

  • Eugene Bogorad

    Why not do both – easily customizable for most, highly customizable for some? Like:

    - (1 from your poll)
    - (2 from your poll)
    - (3 from your poll)
    - fully customizable string

    P.S. Love the bodyscale! Do you have any partners whos devices can post blood pressure/pulse to Google Health? Preferably wireless ;-)

  • Mark

    I agree with Paul and Eugene, build the version with the replaceable variables and have some pre-defined templates for the 'poor mortals'.

    The 'unrelevant tweets' issue can be solved by allowing the user to define multiple messages, each specific for a certain condition i.e.:

    Tweet this when above target weight: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    Tweet this when achieving target weight: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    Tweet this when below target weight: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    Tweet this when going back above target weight: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    etc.

  • Danny

    Please consider that some people only want the scale to tweet their weight. In contrast to my weight, I consider my objective too private to share with the world. So I had to disable my objective just to remove it from the tweets :-(
    So at least give us an option to tweet the weight only.

  • Grobbo

    I really would like more options to tweet specific things, not only customizable twitter messages but also set achievements: "half way there, way to go" etc.

    And I don't think that non-skilled computer users buy these scales anyway. :)

  • Doug

    I think the wording of the poll tweet suggestions is completely wrong. Tweets are intended to be coming >from< you and >to< your audience. It doesn't make sense to be telling everyone "You are 2kg from your goal" or similar.

    It would make more sense to say "I lost n kg this week, nn more to go to my goal" or something.

  • ftrotter
  • Discover How to Lose Belly Fat

    I preferred healthy quotes as tweets, motivational tweets or permanent weightloss tweets. They are very useful!