Guy threw 4800 message bottles into the Atlantic, received 3100 replies

Recommended Videos

Eri

The Light of Dawn
Feb 21, 2009
3,626
0
0
Gizmodo said:
Harold Hackett's hobby, tossing messages in a bottle into the ocean, proves that even the most outdated and unreliable form of 'social networking' can still work in our booking the face, twittering the tweet world. He sent 4,800 messages via the Atlantic and received over 3,000 messages back from all over the world.

Hackett started this communication by chance thing in May of 1996. His method? Rather simple actually. He uses Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice or Orange Juice bottles to house his bright fluorescent messages. Hackett always makes sure that the messages are dated and checks the winds (preferring west or southwest) before he tosses them out to the ocean. Some messages are lost for 13 years before he hears a response.

It's so cool, Hackett has received letters back from Africa, Russia, Holland, the UK, France, Scotland, Ireland, parts of New England, Florida, Norway and even the Bahamas. After making so many worldwide friends, he still receives Christmas cards and gifts and little souvenirs from those places. Hackett says he still loves to do it "the old way", he purposely doesn't put his phone number in the messages so he has to get letters back.

I have to tell you, sending 4,800 messages out and getting 3,100 responses is a pretty damn good ratio. It's more effective than some of my Facebook friends and Twitter pals who incessantly scream into the loudspeaker that social networking has become, at least. He might never meet these people but the personal touch of letters makes the world feel a lot more connected (in a heartfelt analog sorta way).
http://gizmodo.com/5843995/some-guy-threw-4800-messages-in-a-bottle-into-the-atlantic-ocean-and-got-3100-responses-from-all-over-the-world/gallery/

This sounds so awesome, I want to try it. I'm not sure I like juice that much though...
 

zHellas

Quite Not Right
Feb 7, 2010
2,672
0
0
Mr. Moonshine said:
I was going to take you seriously, then I saw your avatar
Like yours is any better. :p (Remember, kids! Magenta colored text is sarcasm text!)

OT:

That's pretty cool, though did he include his home address? I don't see how he could get a response without one, though.
 

GameMaNiAC

New member
Sep 8, 2010
599
0
0
Wow, Hackett must have a lot of free time on his hands. But this is still quite cool, nonetheless.
 

omega 616

Elite Member
May 1, 2009
5,883
1
43
I have a rather sad opposite story to this, I live in the vicinity of like 3 primary schools and they all released balloon messages within a week of each other, it had there address and names on.... a lot of balloons ended up on a near by field, along roads, stuck in trees etc.

This is pretty freaking awesome though, like it says in the quote it's a pretty good ratio he has going.
 

thiosk

New member
Sep 18, 2008
5,410
0
0
Thats awesome! It reminds me of a song...
Reread the post with this song playing.

Protip: take a drink everytime they say "message in a bottle"

Eri said:
Mr. Moonshine said:
I was going to take you seriouslu, then I saw your avatar
Boy was that ever uncalled for.
Live by the pony,
Die by the pony.

marcogodinho said:
Take that, Facebook! This is pretty awesome. Too bad he´s polluting the ocean in the process :p
its not really pollution if people recover the bottles intact.
 

cryogeist

New member
Apr 16, 2010
7,782
0
0
Eri said:
Mr. Moonshine said:
I was going to take you seriouslu, then I saw your avatar
Boy was that ever uncalled for.
what a stupid reason to get banned for. I for one like it.
OT: thats just awesome...even more awesome how 3100 of them even got BACK to him...there might have been more replies for all we know
 

Tiger Sora

New member
Aug 23, 2008
2,220
0
0
This dudes pretty damn cool in my books. Something that seems so mundane, turns out to be so absolutely awesome.
 

Stormz

New member
Jul 4, 2009
1,450
0
0
That's it. I'm deleting my FB account and getting rid of my cell phone. From now on this is the only way I shall communicate!
 

IvanRosski

New member
Apr 24, 2008
34
0
0
If anyone wants to watch a bit of footage, here's the link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14859116

He even sounds a little like a pirate...