Skip to content
By using Twitter’s services you agree to our Cookies Use. We and our partners operate globally and use cookies, including for analytics, personalisation, and ads.
  • Home Home Home, current page.
  • About

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Language: English
    • Bahasa Indonesia
    • Bahasa Melayu
    • Català
    • Čeština
    • Dansk
    • Deutsch
    • English UK
    • Español
    • Filipino
    • Français
    • Hrvatski
    • Italiano
    • Magyar
    • Nederlands
    • Norsk
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Română
    • Slovenčina
    • Suomi
    • Svenska
    • Tiếng Việt
    • Türkçe
    • Ελληνικά
    • Български език
    • Русский
    • Српски
    • Українська мова
    • עִבְרִית
    • العربية
    • فارسی
    • मराठी
    • हिन्दी
    • বাংলা
    • ગુજરાતી
    • தமிழ்
    • ಕನ್ನಡ
    • ภาษาไทย
    • 한국어
    • 日本語
    • 简体中文
    • 繁體中文
  • Have an account? Log in
    Have an account?
    · Forgot password?

    New to Twitter?
    Sign up
vgr's profile
Venkatesh Rao
Venkatesh Rao
Venkatesh Rao
@vgr

Tweets

Venkatesh Rao

@vgr

Conversational account. For work follow @ribbonfarm, @breaking_smart, @artofgig. Tweets are 90% vacuous views, apathetically held. Mediocritopian. IKEA builder.

Los Angeles, CA
venkateshrao.com
Joined August 2007

Tweets

  • © 2020 Twitter
  • About
  • Help Center
  • Terms
  • Privacy policy
  • Imprint
  • Cookies
  • Ads info
Dismiss
Previous
Next

Go to a person's profile

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @

Promote this Tweet

Block

  • Tweet with a location

    You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more

    Your lists

    Create a new list


    Under 100 characters, optional

    Privacy

    Copy link to Tweet

    Embed this Tweet

    Embed this Video

    Add this Tweet to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Add this video to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Hmm, there was a problem reaching the server.

    By embedding Twitter content in your website or app, you are agreeing to the Twitter Developer Agreement and Developer Policy.

    Preview

    Why you're seeing this ad

    Log in to Twitter

    · Forgot password?
    Don't have an account? Sign up »

    Sign up for Twitter

    Not on Twitter? Sign up, tune into the things you care about, and get updates as they happen.

    Sign up
    Have an account? Log in »

    Two-way (sending and receiving) short codes:

    Country Code For customers of
    United States 40404 (any)
    Canada 21212 (any)
    United Kingdom 86444 Vodafone, Orange, 3, O2
    Brazil 40404 Nextel, TIM
    Haiti 40404 Digicel, Voila
    Ireland 51210 Vodafone, O2
    India 53000 Bharti Airtel, Videocon, Reliance
    Indonesia 89887 AXIS, 3, Telkomsel, Indosat, XL Axiata
    Italy 4880804 Wind
    3424486444 Vodafone
    » See SMS short codes for other countries

    Confirmation

     

    Welcome home!

    This timeline is where you’ll spend most of your time, getting instant updates about what matters to you.

    Tweets not working for you?

    Hover over the profile pic and click the Following button to unfollow any account.

    Say a lot with a little

    When you see a Tweet you love, tap the heart — it lets the person who wrote it know you shared the love.

    Spread the word

    The fastest way to share someone else’s Tweet with your followers is with a Retweet. Tap the icon to send it instantly.

    Join the conversation

    Add your thoughts about any Tweet with a Reply. Find a topic you’re passionate about, and jump right in.

    Learn the latest

    Get instant insight into what people are talking about now.

    Get more of what you love

    Follow more accounts to get instant updates about topics you care about.

    Find what's happening

    See the latest conversations about any topic instantly.

    Never miss a Moment

    Catch up instantly on the best stories happening as they unfold.

    1. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      Yesterday 3 buddies and I ran the birth-order poll (in age order, separated by 5-10 years: @vegan, me, @gravity_levity, @visakanv) all of us are finding first-born over last-born dominance so far. Moderate for @vegan, strong for the rest of us.

      2 replies 3 retweets 9 likes
      Show this thread
    2. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      Fairly different followings I’d imagine: an animal rights activist, a tech consultant/blogger, a physicist, and a marketing guy in Singapore.

      1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
      Show this thread
    3. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      A possible trivial explanation for firstborn dominance here... Twitter is only 12 years old, and disproportionately attracted young 20 something’s early on. Many younger siblings would have been too young to join and then when were old enough, joined Snapchat etc

      1 reply 0 retweets 8 likes
      Show this thread
    4. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      Disruption-clipped left-tail effect basically. Given 2-child norm, you either have older or younger sibling. If you’re 20 when you join, an older 23 year old sibling is likely to get on, but a younger 17 year old is not...snared by Snapchat/instagram instead

      1 reply 0 retweets 6 likes
      Show this thread
    5. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      Basically we’re seeing effect of social media tech disruption cycle being about the same as typical sibling age gaps. That’s my working hypothesis. This is an artifact of tech cycles and early adopters if anything tending young, not a true birth-order effect.

      1 reply 0 retweets 6 likes
      Show this thread
    6. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      I’ll add links to all 4 polls here. Do not RT them, to avoid cross-contamination. Feel free to run the same poll and add your poll to this thread. If you do, please mention your age (assuming your followers ages will correlate a bit with yours) and your general tweeting themes.

      1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
      Show this thread
    7. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Vegan

      Here’s @vegan poll: Erik is an animal rights activist in 50shttps://twitter.com/vegan/status/1093315430511308800?s=20 …

      Venkatesh Rao added,

      Vegan @vegan
      Poll—What’s your birth order among siblings (include step-siblings you grew up with)? (I'm wondering if the results for vegans are different than for the general population)
      1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      Show this thread
    8. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Venkatesh Rao

      Here’s mine: tech consultant in 40shttps://twitter.com/vgr/status/1093304895522795520?s=20 …

      Venkatesh Rao added,

      Venkatesh Rao @vgr
      Poll: What’s your birth order among siblings (include step-siblings you grew up with)
      1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      Show this thread
    9. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Brian Skinner

      Here’s Brian’s poll, physicist in 30shttps://twitter.com/gravity_levity/status/1093371495819239424?s=20 …

      Venkatesh Rao added,

      Brian Skinner @gravity_levity
      Poll: What is your birth order among your siblings (include step-siblings you grew up with)
      2 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      Show this thread
    10. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      Venkatesh Rao Retweeted visa is working on his ebook

      And here’s Visa’s, late 20s (?) marketer in Singaporehttps://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1093404506857979905?s=20 …

      Venkatesh Rao added,

      visa is working on his ebook @visakanv
      Poll: What’s your birth order among siblings (include step-siblings you grew up with)
      Show this thread
      2 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      Show this thread
      Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation

      The tech cycles explanation is not entirely convincing. Scott Alexander of @slatestarcodex also found the effect, he’s a psychologist/rationalist community blogger and polled people at meetups etc, not twitter https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/01/08/fight-me-psychologists-birth-order-effects-exist-and-are-very-strong/?fbclid=IwAR0nMcOQeBiOzSNFIDCSeRzOBX5vpwADfLF50GmpxkWOL-wb_CZGDUL9m1k …

      10:23 AM - 7 Feb 2019
      • 1 Retweet
      • 3 Likes
      • Dhurandhar B ian m hines sevpuri nakul
      1 reply 1 retweet 3 likes
        1. New conversation
        2. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
          • Report Tweet
          • Report NetzDG Violation

          Scott thinks it might be due to STEM effects...older siblings more likely to go into STEM fields. If so, it might also contribute to twitter case. STEMmies being overrepresented here in general and probably specifically for 2 of 4 of us (Brian and me)

          1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
          Show this thread
        3. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
          • Report Tweet
          • Report NetzDG Violation

          I do know indirectly via other polls that my followers are strongly STEM biased. So if that’s part of the explanation, it would apply at least in my case.pic.twitter.com/QMhXldb5tZ

          1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
          Show this thread
        4. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
          • Report Tweet
          • Report NetzDG Violation

          Note: the bigger the sibling-set, the stronger the left-tail clipping effect. If you have many siblings, like Brian, gap between oldest and youngest will be bigger. If you are oldest/middle and joined Twitter at ~22, almost no chance that 5+ years younger sibling will be here.

          1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
          Show this thread
        5. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
          • Report Tweet
          • Report NetzDG Violation

          And finally, to the extent twitter attracts a “type” independent of age, even in steady state there’s going to be tail clipping. If you’re 20 and joined today, older sibling is probably also on here, but younger one likely will not join. So it’s not a 1-time early adopter effect

          1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
          Show this thread
        6. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
          • Report Tweet
          • Report NetzDG Violation

          A reasonable null hypothesis is that there's no birth-order effect, and it's all artifact of tech cycles. @tomguarriello pointed me to Judith Harris' Nurture Assumption as key ref here. I haven't read it. Just noting it here in case anyone wants to dig. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nurture_Assumption …

          1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
          Show this thread
        7. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
          • Report Tweet
          • Report NetzDG Violation

          Of course, gotta also note usual caveats: absence of evidence is not evidence of evidence, can't prove a negative, replication crisis in social psych etc., but the unfoundedness of several specific birth-order effect hypotheses does call the general idea into question as well.

          2 replies 0 retweets 1 like
          Show this thread
        8. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 Feb 2019
          • Report Tweet
          • Report NetzDG Violation

          Above my statistics pay grade, but clearly if you do a convolution of a moving unstable distribution like a series of intersecting adoption curves spaced 2-5 years apart, with a symmetric one like birth order, you should get an asymmetric result.

          3 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
          Show this thread
        9. End of conversation

      Loading seems to be taking a while.

      Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.

        Promoted Tweet

        false

        • © 2020 Twitter
        • About
        • Help Center
        • Terms
        • Privacy policy
        • Imprint
        • Cookies
        • Ads info