As a final project for one of my classes, I’v been looking at the traces of identity we leave behind on the Internet, and how these compare to our internal sense of self. I put together lists of the likes and interests of everyone in our class, as stated on each person’s Facebook profile, and then used Mechanical Turk to distribute these lists to anonymous “Workers.” I provided each worker with the following instructions: “Read a list of a person’s Facebook likes, then describe that person based on their likes. What is their personality? How do they spend their time? What might an average day be like for them?” In response, I received a short description, a drawing, and a rating of how much they like the person they described on a scale of 1-10. I’m currently in the process of compiling all of this content into a document that will serve as a sort of yearbook for the class, filtered by the lens of Facebook and Mechanical Turk. Here’s a look at the drawings and descriptions I received, their real identities concealed (for now):
“This seems like a person who is more reserved and intellectual. From the likes displayed it seems like this person really enjoys reading and shows a passion for music. This person also seems to be interested in sports and specifically a number of athletes. Overall this person seems to be interested in the arts mainly.”
“This person seems very outgoing and sociable. They seem to enjoy physical activities and generally being out in nature. They appreciate the night sky as most humans have forgotten to do. They really enjoy going skiing and the snow. They most likely enjoy deep conversations and meaningful relationships. This person shows an interest in school and learning. Probably very good at planning their future.”
“After reading the likes, this person looks she is a Caucasian female. She has a pretty wide taste in music and probably likes to dance a lot. She also has a wide taste in books as well. I would say she is probably in her mid-forties. Music and musicals really make up a big part of her life. Seems like she is comes from NY and is very urban.”
“‘S’ lives and breaths keystrokes in her life as a young graduate techie living in Philadelphia. She is a modern Asian gal invested in her career at Deluxe Modern Design and her Tech clubs but knows how to keep her soul happy by filling the rest of her time with the pleasurable things she loves most which is her passion for acting and ballroom dancing. ‘S’ also has a talent for origami sculpture and frequents stationery shops to find the perfect paper for her one day masterpiece! Her favorite weekend activity is the summertime Saturday night fish fry with her family where she routinely sports her capri’s and sun hat while posing for photos.”
“This person seems to be in to a lot of different types of music. Very eclectic. Seems to be interested in reading heavily and also appreciates fantasy. Also based on some of the likes they seem to enjoy comedy and a good laugh. This person also seems to appreciate mature cartoons. Overall a more reserved and geeky person.”
“This person is probably a male in their mid 30’s. The music like of the Cure is a big clue because they had to grow up in the time period because they are not played much anymore. They enjoy watching some interesting movies and I think they work in the tech field. They view their work as art along with tech because I imagine he is some sort of animator or computer graphics guru. He still has not given up on his childhood and still enjoys watching a Disney movie every now and then.”
“Based on the likes, this person is a woman and very well educated. She is definitely a liberal with strong interest in the environment. If she owns a house, she probably has a big garden in her backyard. Otherwise if she has an apartment, it has to have a balcony so that she could have a container garden growing there. She is the type of person he feels very strongly about her political beliefs and does not feel any need to hold back expressing or more like trying to persuade others to believe what she does.”
“Not only does this woman love her job as an architect, she loves to furnish the inside spaces of buildings as well. She is passionate about networking and new ideas, especially if they are green. She thinks that there is progress and money to be made in creating buildings which are environmentally sound. On top of that, she is a bit of a nerd, a foodie and a lover of the arts, specifically theatre. In her quest to find new ideas, she happily provides funding through Kickstarter to those ideas she things are innovative and intriguing.”
“A deep culture of art and philosophy are highly important to G. She captures the attention of others with her unique dress that defines her personality. Theater and punk concerts are her passion but what really drives her is the beauty of the human soul. She works with the community during the day in various outreach programs, often assisting homeless veterans near the Mid-Hudson Bridge in Poughkeepsie. When she is not with her friends expanding her mind in the evening she is working her second part time job making candy at Tutti Frutti Farms.”
“This user is a female who lives in Chicago IL. and is a recent college graduate. She loves to read and will spend much of her spare time either reading or volunteering in the community. She is single and possibly handicapped but she does not let this interfere with her enjoyment of life. An incredibly giving woman, she donates her time to various causes. She is a democrat and is searching for what she wants to do in life. Although she is not sure yet, she knows she wants to help people and give her life to a worthy cause more than make a lot of money.”
“This person is very spiritual, but also feisty and has eclectic tastes. I picture them as a woman who is creative and works in a trendy art gallery. She walks to work and either takes her lunch or eats at restaurants that serve organic foods. After work, she walks on the streets window shopping and frequents the thrift stores looking for treasures that she can either restore and keep or sell on craigslist. She has a flair for style and likes to wear bright colors and does not concern herself with people who see her as an outsider, punk rocker, or beatnik.”
“This user is a young adult male who is currently attending Stanford University for an engineering degree. Although engineering is his chosen professional future, he really loves fashion and design and wishes that he could be a costume designer on Broadway. He is actively involved in many community volunteering opportunities and enjoys giving his time when he can. For now his fashion design must remain a hobby and he needs to be fully involved in getting his engineering degree.”
“This user is a young adult male and is someone who loves alternative rock music. They are a little confused about their sexuality but are on their way to figuring it out. Their family is hardcore conservative republicans so they are waiting for the right time to tell them that they are gay. They love to travel and are politically inclined to be a liberal with very opinionated views on a variety of liberal topics including gay marriage. He likes to draw but does not have a lot of time for it.”
“This person is a male, young adult who was born in Korea and is currently studying in the United States. They are a student of graphic design or some sort of artistic degree and spends time on the internet looking at videos and content related to his home in Korea. He enjoys basketball, but does not play much, he watches it on television. I think he also likes children’s novels and aspires to draw illustrations for them in the future.”
