The Hidden Secrets of Online Quizzes 136
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."
Re:[Block this Application] (Score:5, Informative)
The old bait and switch (Score:5, Informative)
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.
Link goes to page 2 of the article (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I never understood.. (Score:5, Informative)
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/ [freehostia.com]
Re:Real Age doesn't "sell" your details. (Score:4, Informative)
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.
Re:I'm still waiting for the... (Score:1, Informative)
Douchebag...
That's false advertising--made up data (Score:5, Informative)
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.
Facebook quizzes (Score:3, Informative)
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).
Re:Real Age doesn't "sell" your details. (Score:4, Informative)
You might want to give the greasmonkey script Facebook Purity [userscripts.org] a go, it hides all those useless quizes.