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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."
You can block the application, just click "HIDE" then the drop down shows "hide (user)" and "hide (application". The second form the list is what you want. I use it all the time!
Many online quizzes trick people by not requiring any personal information at the start. Only after a person has spent half an hour considering their responses does the site require an email address or even payment to see the results. Since a person is reluctant to throw away the time they've invested, they are more likely to give in, although they never would have agreed to the terms at the start.
I had this happen to me last year, when trying to take a Myers-Briggs style personality test to see if my scores had changed in the last decade. They gave me only the most basic results, and expected payment for the full results. Now I will never take an online quiz again unless they guarantee to give full results without requiring payment, personal details, "completing one of these offers", etc.
The link in the story goes to page two of the article. Here's Page 1 instead.
Firefox + Greasemonkey + FB Purity = no more quizzes showing up. The removal of the most annoying part of Facebook definitely enhances the service.
http://steeev.freehostia.com/wp/2009/03/19/facebook_purity_cleans_up_the_facebook_homepage/
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
The point is that Real Age is maintaining control of your information. Advertisers aren't learning anything about you. I'm sure they're getting paid for passing the ads along, though.
I see your informative link, and raise you a pithy comment.
Douchebag...
Your friends have not taken the IQ quiz. What they have done is just taken your friends list and made up scores for them.
I know this because I saw the ad on my wife's page and it said I got a score on a test I had never taken.
"I only speak the truth"
Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
Facebook quizzes are indeed highly deceptive and a serious invasion of privacy; the best thing is to kill them with a Greasemonkey script (or not use Facebook at all).
You might want to give the greasmonkey script Facebook Purity a go, it hides all those useless quizes.