10 Things you didn't know...

... about lists with 10 Things you allegedly didn't know.

1. The list contains between one and ten items you never cared to know.


2. The list contains at least one item you already knew so you don't feel utterly stupid.


3. Adding numbered list items is the easiest way to convert a badly written, unstructured text into a format that has the appearance of useful information.


4. This doesn't change the fact that it's a badly written, unstructured text with irrelevant content that you'd never have read without numbers from 1 to 10.


5. It makes it unnecessary to come up with an intelligent title.


6. There are most likely more than 10 things you didn't know, but the author didn't know these either, and who cares whether point 6 has been rated an unconfirmed urban legend repeatedly.


7. Counting down items gives a sense of drama and usually ends in disappointment.


8. Counting up gives a sense of increasing irrelevance and usually ends with a supposedly funny final point.


9. Not counting at all causes the reader to verify the author counted correctly.
   
10. By the time you've reached the last item, you've forgotten the first.

So then maybe somebody could tell me why on earth these lists have become so incredibly popular during the last years?