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riddler

Facebook is such a pussy

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So I'm using Facebook, and I don't do the games and quizzes much, but someone posted "What's your Myers-Briggs personality type?". Those of you that know this exam probably know what I'm talking about. I took it in college, and they said I was an INTJ. Then I took the Facebook quiz, knowing full-well that it wasn't an official test or anything like that, and it said I was an ISTJ - about the same, but I didn't put much stock in a Facebook quiz. It got attached as a "tab" to my profile.

Then after a few weeks, the tab stopped working. So I deleted it. No big deal. Today I got a "message" from Facebook saying that it wasn't an official test, and redirecting me to a site that sells the exam to people (for the discounted rate of only $20, since they wanted to "apologize" for the fact that Facebook had an imposter post this quiz). The site owners also own the trademark rights to the term "Myers-Briggs Type Indicator" and "MBTI", neither of which was on the Facebook quiz.

Leading me to conclude that the people that own those trademarks had their teams of lawyers threaten to sue Facebook over a disputable claim involving the rights to anything named Myers or Briggs. And of course, Facebook capitulated like the French army.

Or maybe I'm just annoyed that they deleted my video over the alleged musical copyright infringement.
Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

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Or maybe I'm just annoyed that they deleted my video over the alleged musical copyright infringement.



You wrote/recorded the music used in the video? Or made a parody about the song used in the video? Or the video was a social commentary related to the song's lyrics?
That would suck if they did that after all your work.

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Make sure the e-mail actually came from facebook.



It was in the Facebook notifications, so I'm 100% positive it came from Facebook.

Here is the link to the CPP site that they provided:

http://response.cpp.com/content/mbticompletefb

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We're CPP, and we're the publisher of the authentic Myers-Briggs® (MBTI®) personality assessment. We recognize you may have recently taken a free "What's Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type?" Facebook app. This imitation quiz was not created nor endorsed by CPP.

....

We understand the Facebook app was free; but it was free because it was not authentic. CPP has invested more than 50 years of research and science to make sure the Myers-Briggs assessment gives you results you can trust. Normally, the online version—MBTI® Complete—is $59.95 but because of your experience with the imitation Facebook app, we're making it available to you for $19.95 through the end of November. Please use the promotional code FACEBOOK when you enter your payment information.


Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

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Of course, the other thing to realize is Myers-Briggs is a bullshit test to begin with.



I'm interested in your opinion, because I knew a few respected therapists that use it in their evaluations of clients (one is my marriage counselor ;)). I know there is some controversy, as indicated in the Wiki:

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Skeptics criticize the terminology of the MBTI as being so "vague and general"[43] as to allow any kind of behavior to fit any personality type. They claim that this results in the Forer effect, where individuals give a high rating to a positive description that supposedly applies specifically to them.[25][33] Others argue that while the MBTI type descriptions are brief, they are also distinctive and precise.[44]:14-15 Some theorists, such as David Keirsey, have expanded on the MBTI descriptions, providing even greater detail. For instance, Keirsey's descriptions of his four temperaments, which he derived from the sixteen MBTI personality types, show how the temperaments differ in terms of language use, intellectual orientation, educational and vocational interests, social orientation, self image, personal values, social roles, and characteristic hand gestures.[44]:32-207



I'm interested if you've seen any studies that show there is no correlation between the results and personality types. I haven't seen any actual studies that prove, for instance, that Myers Briggs inherits a Forer Effect. If you could show me, I would appreciate that.
Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

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So, it's not so much that FB is a bunch of pussies, but rather that the official con artists data mined FB for a sucker list.



Yeah, and I implied as much in an email to them - that it was perhaps a form of Geurrilla Marketing. But I don't have any evidence that was the case.
Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

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I haven't seen any actual studies that prove, for instance, that Myers Briggs inherits a Forer Effect.



The proper skeptical approach would be for them to prove it doesn't.
They haven't.

The idea that you can categorize every individual based on 16 types is ridiculous at the outset. What upsets me further is the idea that the test are used to control people in subtle ways they may not realize and they become self fulfilling prophetic traps for people.

I've seen it used as part of employment screening. Talk about bullshit.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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The idea that you can categorize every individual based on 16 types is ridiculous at the outset. What upsets me further is the idea that the test are used to control people in subtle ways they may not realize and they become self fulfilling prophetic traps for people.

I've seen it used as part of employment screening. Talk about bullshit.



Well, that would be bullshit, because the implication is that the test is valid AND that only a certain profile would fit a specific job. There isn't any evidence that a person of a certain type can't do a job as well as of another type. It's discrimination at best.

As far as the test - each category is on a sliding scale, so it's not that people get put into boxes, but tend to "lean" in one direction. Some people lean a lot :D But most people fit a moderate profile in at least 2 out of 4 categories.

I'm not sold on MB - I've taken it a few times, and I see patterns that seem to match my personality. I don't think it's as far-fetched as Astrology, but I don't think it's the ultimate measure of character either. I definitely don't think it's worth paying money for :S
Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

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I've seen it used as part of employment screening. Talk about bullshit.



When I was 16 and applying for a summer job my potential employer used something similar on me before considering hiring. Even at 16 I knew this was wrong and purposely answered some of the questions a bit slanted.

I didn't get the job. Oh well.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

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So, it's not so much that FB is a bunch of pussies, but rather that the official con artists data mined FB for a sucker list.



My point to the OP was related to the "alleged music copyright violation" that got his video pulled. If he wrote/recorded the music in question, then it would probably be an "alleged" violation. Otherwise, it probably isn't alleged, but in purpose, a violation.
You know me and copyright :P

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