December 15, 2008

Twit Or Fit? Hot or Not for Twitter Users Launches

There's no question that some of the most popular Web ventures are centered around finding that perfect someone, or at least centered around looking at perfect pictures. The popular "Hot Or Not" model that has you rate a person's photo and give it a numerical rating has been emulated time and again, evolving (or devolving) from individuals to their body parts. (Don't make me link there. Just trust me.)

Nick Halstead, the creator of Favorit and TweetMeme, is looking to capitalize on the simplicity of such an engine, but this time, has targeted the focus on one of the fastest-growing social networks out there... Twitter.

The new TwitOrFit shows a random user's image, along with their most recent Tweet, and gives you the option to either follow their account, or give them a numerical rating, from a 1 (Twit) to a 10 (Fit). As with the "Hot or Not" model, you can select a pull-down menu that says "Show Guys Only", "Show Girls Only" or "Show Both".


How Do You Rate This Twit Or Fit User, 1 to 10?

And as with many of these sites, you can't just jump in and start voting people up or down, without taking a bit of a risk yourself. Halstead wrote in an e-mail last week:

Some facts about how the site works:
  1. you can only vote if you sign up yourself - and therefore put yourself forward to be voted upon
  2. The picture comes from your twitter profile (which can be any size)
  3. If you change your profile picture we let people re-vote on you
  4. The system optionally (opt-out) sends a tweet when you sign up to tell your friends to come vote for you
  5. A badge system allows you to display your current score (out of 10) on your own blog/site
Unsurprisingly, TwitOrFit displays a "Top 10" leaderboard for Fits, but oddly, it also shows a Top 10 for Twits, so if you think your Twitter profile is not the most flattering, this might not be the place for you. (For example, as of this posting, @robashton was considered the biggest Twit with a real photo, and @huddlesuz, a member of the TwitOrFit team was considered the most Fit.)


The TwitOrFit Leaderboard (Top 10)


TwitOrFit is a joint collaboration between Favorit and Huddle.net, Halstead says, pointing back to a Twitter conversation from early November - which also signals that this site was designed and made live in about a month's time.

Twit Or Fit is officially launching today at Twinterval in London. If you want to brave the Twitter masses and put your own profile picture up for a vote, head over to TwitOrFit. You just might find that special someone is a "follow" away.