Boredom has one useful side effect: it makes odd questions feel allowed. A question about a junk drawer would sound strange in a work call and perfectly normal at ten on a slow evening, which is why this list exists.
These are seven random topics for a message on Fanforus. Each has a follow-up question; a few include ways to try them using Fanforus tools, and the list ends with a plain note on what to do when a topic falls flat.
Why Odd Questions Work in a Fanforus Chat
A random question takes the pressure off. Nobody has to be an expert, and a silly answer costs nothing. Most answers arrive with a reason attached, which hands the other person something to react to besides the weather. On Fanforus, the good ones tend to be easy to answer in a sentence and a little funny without trying. They also work when you have nothing urgent to say, which is most of the time, boredom strikes.
How to Pick One
Let the clock decide. Take the last digit of the minute: a 1 means topic one, a 2 means topic two, and so on up to 7. A 0, 8, or 9 means wait a minute and try again. The rule is silly on purpose, and it saves you from staring at the list. A slow evening on Fanforus is a fair time to try it, and if the list starts to feel like homework, skip the game and pick whichever one made you smile.
The Seven Topics for Fanforus Chats
1. The Smallest Useful Invention
"What's the smallest invention that made your everyday life easier?"
People get oddly passionate about small things. One will argue for the notch in a pot lid that holds a spoon, and another swears by the zip tie. The answers are short. Replying costs almost no effort.
Follow-ups worth keeping handy:
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Would you improve it?
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Which tiny invention do you wish somebody would make?
It also works as a newsfeed post, where Fanforus members share updates, and anyone can respond with their own pick.
2. One Skill, One Afternoon
"If you could master any skill in one afternoon, which one?"
Two-finger whistling comes up a lot, and so does parallel parking. What someone picks shows what feels slightly out of reach, which is more interesting than what they already do well. Ask who they'd show first, and a person walks into the conversation. Then try "What would you do with the afternoon after that?"
It also works as a first line in a private message on Fanforus, since it asks for one pick.
3. Something You Changed Your Mind About
"What did you use to dislike that you enjoy now?"
Olives are the classic answer, though it can be anything from a genre of music to a morning routine. This one gets personal faster than it sounds, because a changed mind usually has a small story behind it. Keep your own answer light, and let the other person decide how much story to tell. On Fanforus, a changed-mind story also works as a one-line reply to a newsfeed post. The natural follow-up is just "What changed?"
4. The Habit You Can't Explain
"What's a small habit you've kept for years that makes little sense?"
Picture someone who shakes the milk carton three times before opening it, and has done so for as long as they can remember. They have no idea why, and everyone they've mentioned it to has either laughed or admitted to a habit of their own. That second reaction is the reason to ask. Odd habits make people feel less odd, and an email letter on Fanforus gives you room to tell yours properly if the answer turns into a longer story.
5. An Oddly Satisfying Sound
"Which everyday sound is oddly satisfying?"
A zipper closing on a full suitcase is a common pick, along with ice cracking in a glass and the click of a good pen. Ask the opposite too, "Which one makes you wince?", and you get two answers for the price of one question.
Likes and playful signals on the Fanforus website can say hello without a sentence. A topic like this gives the sentence something to be about once you decide to write it.
6. A One-Minute Lesson
"If you had one minute to teach a class, what would you teach?"
Folding a fitted sheet is the answer people reach for, and it's a good one. The question has a built-in limit, which is useful, because a limit makes a person pick the thing they could explain fast and well. Ask for the homework, and the topic gets a second life. A one-minute lesson also fits a newsfeed post on Fanforus, where members can reply with their own.
7. What Lives in the Junk Drawer
"What lives in your junk drawer that you can't throw away?"
One key that opens nothing is a common answer, and one battery that may or may not work is another. Nobody has to defend a junk drawer, so the question carries no pressure. It's a gentle one. A good follow-up is "What would you swap it for?"
Photo sharing inside a conversation on Fanforus lets a picture of the drawer do the talking. Keep the photo free of anything that shows where you live, and crop out any labels or addresses.
Where to Try Them on Fanforus
Several tools on Fanforus fit these topics, and none of them needs any setup:
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Private messaging on Fanforus for a one-on-one exchange
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Newsfeed posts on Fanforus, where a topic can invite several replies at once
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Email letters on Fanforus, for the longer story that sometimes follows a short question
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Likes, playful signals, and follows, which show interest before you write
Icebreakers are opening messages that come as templates, and you can send one to several members at once. Fanforus supports conversations with members who have opted to receive messages or shown prior interest, so choose recipients whose profiles held your attention for a reason. A random topic is a better opener than a template for one profile that gives you a specific question, and a template is a fair start when you like several profiles and have little time.
When a Random Topic Falls Flat
Some will, on Fanforus and everywhere else. The reader may be busy, may not care for the subject, or may be in the middle of another conversation. A quiet reply says little about you, and the simplest fix is to change the topic, not to make a louder version of the first one.
Two habits help:
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One question per message, since a stack of three feels like a form
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Your own answer included, because a question with an answer attached is easier to match
Ground Rules for Odd Questions
Random doesn't mean careless, and that holds on Fanforus as much as anywhere. Skip any question that needs a long personal history to answer, since the point is to keep things light. Keep phone numbers and addresses out of your answers, and treat any push for personal details, or for a switch to another app, as worth noticing. If a conversation stops feeling comfortable, on Fanforus, you can report a profile, a photo, a message, or a newsfeed post, and you can block someone from a profile page or in a conversation at any time, with no report required first.
Keep Up With Fanforus
To keep an eye on our platform from your usual feed, you can follow Fanforus on Instagram.
Right now, if the minute ends at 7, it's the junk drawer.
