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The Hidden Secrets of Online Quizzes

LegionKK points out a story on PC World, sending along this excerpt: "Ultimately, deciding whether you should take an online quiz comes down to a question of trust: Are you comfortable putting your information — personal or financial — into the owner's hands? Remember, even if you don't directly input data, it can be passed along. Such is the case with Facebook, where just opening an application automatically grants its developer access to your entire profile. And don't assume that the developer isn't going to use the information within. [...] The ads can follow you long after you click away, too. Just look at RealAge, a detailed quiz that assigns you a 'biological age' based on your family history and health habits. The site, a recent investigation revealed, takes your most sensitive answers — those about sexual difficulties, say, or signs of depression — and sells them to drug companies looking to market medications."

21 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Facebook by hachete · · Score: 3, Funny

    Are these connected to the Facebook quizzes? a lot of these are infuriatingly ill-spelt.

    --
    Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious
    1. Re:Facebook by T+Murphy · · Score: 5, Funny

      That is on purpose to filter out those who will be deterred by advertisements with creative spellings (i.e. v1@gr@). The advertising companies are very concerned about not sending unwanted messages to anyone.

  2. After taking enough of these quizes. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    After taking enough of these quizes. . .

    . . .the spammers better know enough that I don't need their male enhancement .

    1. Re:After taking enough of these quizes. . . by bwalling · · Score: 5, Funny

      After taking enough of these quizes. . .

      . . .the spammers better know enough that I don't need their male enhancement .

      You're overcompensating to the point that it's obvious you have a problem.

    2. Re:After taking enough of these quizes. . . by stillnotelf · · Score: 3, Funny

      You don't need male enhancement? Did the quizzes show you were female?

  3. CowboyNeal by Toe,+The · · Score: 4, Funny

    For some reason, online quizzes always seem to ask me about my predilections for some Cowboy guy...

    1. Re:CowboyNeal by EvilBudMan · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, and now I'm getting Cowboy spam. Like wanting me to buy cheap land out west where you can raise your own Viagra.

  4. I am terrified by Joe+the+Lesser · · Score: 5, Funny

    that it will be known that if I were an X-Man, I would be Storm.

    --
    "I only speak the truth"
    Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
  5. Re:Real Age doesn't "sell" your details. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    How nice of them to offer this service for free, completely without compensation for their efforts.

  6. Re:I never understood.. by robably · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, I swear if there was a quiz called "Are you the type of person who takes quizzes? Find out!!!", six people in my office would take it.

    And be genuinely surprised by the answer.

  7. No kidding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I joined Facebook last month and was surprised to see how much control was given to the 'apps' by default.

    One of the first notices I got was something like "Your friends X and Y have taken this IQ Test - can you beat their score?" Wanting to be a good sport I started the quiz - only to notice plenty of fine print granting the program access to my personal information/friends list, etc.

    Needless to say, there was no longer any need to take the quiz, as the intelligence of my friends is now suspect.

  8. I'm still waiting for the... by rodney+dill · · Score: 4, Funny

    Which Feminine Hygiene Product Are You? quiz....

    --

    Use your head, can't you, use your head,
    You're on earth, there's no cure for that
    - S. Beckett
    1. Re:I'm still waiting for the... by rackserverdeals · · Score: 5, Funny

      Which Feminine Hygiene Product Are You? quiz....

      I was working on a site called "Is Your Credit Card Number Hot or Not" but this news might taint my target market to think that I'm using the site for the wrong reasons. Oh well, good thing I didn't spend too much time on the companion sites "Your SSN Can Predict Your Future" and "How Your Mother's Maiden Name Affects Impotence"

      --
      Dual Opteron < $600
    2. Re:I'm still waiting for the... by rodney+dill · · Score: 5, Funny

      --or--

      What your passwords say about you...

      --

      Use your head, can't you, use your head,
      You're on earth, there's no cure for that
      - S. Beckett
  9. Of course.... by rodney+dill · · Score: 4, Funny

    The google ad at the top is RealAge Quiz when I looked at the article.

    --

    Use your head, can't you, use your head,
    You're on earth, there's no cure for that
    - S. Beckett
    1. Re:Of course.... by wjousts · · Score: 2, Funny

      I noticed that too. Oh the irony of Google ads.

  10. Re:[Block this Application] by mx119 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I really don't care what kind of sandwich, beer, flower, country, actor, power tool, car, coffee, breakfast cereal, of language I am.

    I was following this rule, then it asked what kind of Jedi I was. I could not resist, so I assume one of the application sith's was using a mind trick on me.

  11. Re:I never understood.. by MadKeithV · · Score: 4, Funny

    MC / MCSE is about more than just VB. There's C++ too. Where friends have access to your privates.

  12. brought to you by, Real Age by JoelisHere · · Score: 3, Funny

    This story brought to you by, Real Age. I find it funny that the Google ad served up for this story was no other than a Real Age ad.

  13. Re:Real Age doesn't "sell" your details. by chengiz · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just sold the fact that dgatwood has anal retention issues to Ex-lax.

  14. Re:I never understood.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    That's not always a bad thing. Depends on the friends...