They said they were able to predict whether men were homosexual with 88% accuracy by their likes of Facebook pages such as “Human Rights Campaign” and “Wicked the Musical” – even if those users had not explicitly shared their sexuality on the site. Fewer than 5% of the homosexual participants in the study clicked obvious Likes, such as “Gay Marriage”, researchers said.

😯

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/mar/11/facebook-users-reveal-intimate-secrets

Is it not reasonably obvious that the things a person is interested in would give an insight into what that person is like ?

Lots of information about people’s interests are viewable on Facebook so they have a lot to go on to form a profile.

Lots of information about people’s interests are viewable on Facebook so they have a lot to go on to form a profile.

Yeah.

Still, I’m pretty impressed they came up with an algorithm that can tell whether you’re gay or not by the tv shows and movies you like

Brave new world. Stats is great and scary at the same time.

Too clever. And too much time on their hands 🙂

Dangerous combination.

i am an astrapohile on my facebook likes

For example, the best predictors of high intelligence include “Thunderstorms,” “The Colbert Report,” “Science,” and “Curly Fries,” whereas low intelligence was indicated by “Sephora,” “I Love Being A Mom,” “Harley Davidson,” and “Lady Antebellum.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/like-curly-fries-youre-clever-like-motorbikes-youre-not-the-science-of-facebook-likes-8530101.html

reminds me of this
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1968042,00.html

Having a serious liking for show tunes is generally considered a bit of a giveaway… 😀
I’d be very interested to see what their algorithm would make of my varied ‘Likes’ 😀

Probably not all that hard to do given the multitude of machine learning frameworks and the amount of training data available on facebook. Picking the right features to supply the algorithm might be tricky, but I wouldnt of thought it would be a big challenge.

Really want this algorithm to see if my ex was a lesbian or not.

I’d be very interested to see what their algorithm would make of my varied ‘Likes’

Snap.

They said they were able to predict whether men were homosexual with 88% accuracy by their likes of Facebook pages such as “Human Rights Campaign” and “Wicked the Musical” – even if those users had not explicitly shared their sexuality on the site. Fewer than 5% of the homosexual participants in the study clicked obvious Likes, such as “Gay Marriage”, researchers said.

Happening in the Vatican as we now wait for the anouncement of the new pope.But then a gay pope would liven up stuff there, new colour schemes, a bit of humour and inuendo, then thers all those dresses and hats they wear.

Seems as if the vatican also own the worlds largest gay sauna,as well.

I’d be very interested to see what their algorithm would make of my varied ‘Likes’

More than likely it would reveal that your not as original and different as you think you are.

More than likely it would reveal that your not as original and different as you think you are.

What was the point of this comment?

What was the point of this comment?

Made me smile, and reflect on the fact that we’re all depressingly, monotonously alike. Even you and me, probably.

Is there a way they can compare the IQ of those who signed up to Facebook and then clicked Like lots of times to those who didn’t?

Is there a way they can compare the IQ of those who signed up to Facebook and then clicked Like lots of times to those who didn’t?

I’d be interested in that. 🙂

I list Bing Crosby as my hero, and I like most music from Sibelius to Springsteen. What does that make me?

I list Bing Crosby as my hero, and I like most music from Sibelius to Springsteen. What does that make me?

A small, asthmatic, Peruvia prawn called Nigel.

I like most music from Sibelius to Springsteen

indecisive

I’d be interested in that too.

I can’t imagine how dull and lacking in curiosity a person must be to have never signed up to Facebook. Maybe it is also a measure of actual intelligence, one way or the other, although I can’t see how.

I can’t imagine how dull and lacking in curiosity a person must be to have never signed up to Facebook.

Really?

bwaarp – Member

Really want this algorithm to see if my ex was a lesbian or not.

Before you met, no. After, almost certainly.

Please ask if you require additional information about the point of this post.

This would be scientifically proving of a stereotype?
Completely pointless

There was a piece in New Scientist a while ago where someone had developed algorithms which could predict where you were likley to be at a given time with a scarily high accuracy, based on only a few pieces of facebook info. Basically it looked at your friends who had published location data, pictures you were tagged in and all that. Pretty ammusingly it didnt really make any difference when tested on those who were ‘protective’ over their shared info.

So my wife and I are both dull and lacking in curiosity – its amazing what we learn on a daily basis 😉

So my wife and I are both dull and lacking in curiosity – its amazing what we learn on a daily basis

Although according to science you’re more likely to be sociopaths! 😛

Before you met, no. After, almost certainly.

I’d actually be pretty proud of that!

Lesbians don’t exist anyway…

Apparently I have 23 FB likes. I don’t like any of the things mentioned in that study. Every single one of my likes is related to either adventure sports, cycling, triathlon, unicycling or my local playing field. I wonder how they’d categorise me?

I wonder how they’d categorise me?

A butch.

So my wife and I are both dull and lacking in curiosity – its amazing what we learn on a daily basis

You would have known already if you were more curious.

Only got yourselves to blame.

❓

I have a Facebook account but don’t ‘like’ anything. I suspect this reveals me to be a boring fart most likely registered on STW.

I have one but I’m blocked from signing back in, so unless I send photo I.D. to them to prove that it’s definately me,it’s game over.

Oh jeeziz, back to dull-ism.

I forgot the ( 😉 ) at the end of my post.

So did I on the original post!

I was going to say I haven’t got any Likes, but did a quick check and found 65!

Some of which are: Keep Racing on the Roads, Spotify, Dogueo, Julia Bradbury, PRIMO Cycles, No Fuss Events, mtb batteries, Hervélo, Northern Runner, The Moth, Škoda, Core Cambridge, Skedaddle Italia, Learn RS, Misery Bear, CairnGorm Mountain Ltd, Oskar the Blind Cat (Official), STW:Argue, This American Life, Stickers on the Central Line, Libra Concrete Pumping Services, BH Bikes, Damion Hickman Design, Inc., Specialized Bicycles, Team GB, Doug Chinnery Photography Workshops, The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, Mountain Mayhem 24hr, Flow Mountain Bike, Drovers Rest Restaurant, Privateer, Team Bamboo Bikes, Perfect Condition, Abbey Nursery, Cambridge Nomads Hockey Club, Cutie Pie, ActionAid UK, Troutie Lights, Glenmore Lodge, Cambridge Blue Cross adoption centre, Saddle Skedaddle, Beautiful TV, Measure Design, Wideopenmag.co.uk, Calder Massage & Physiotherapy, Columbia Bikefood Mountain Bike Race Team, False Economy, RSA, MAGNUM, Beautiful, Is Margaret Thatcher Dead Yet?, Last Exit to Nowhere

What does this lot make me?

I’ve “liked” a few things so I could whinge about something on their wall – and then forgotten to unlike them. 😕

Interesting how those who don’t sign up for Facebook like to bleat on about not signing up for it. I think not signing up helps certain types of people feel a bit superior and y’know, if it does, then knock yourselves out.