Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Friday Fun: The Quiz Craze
The magazine industry started it -- the quickie quiz that would tell you your personality, your perfect mate, your perfect job, etc. The internet has taken it to new heights, and just when you didn't think there could be more quizzes, comes Facebook, where apparently anyone can pop out a few questions and make their own quiz on just about anything. Like most of us, I think, in a weak moment, I can't help but give into the online quiz.
Through these quizzes I have found out What Car I Am (and Audi -- no. Wrong. I am so much more of a Jeep or Land Rover). I have discovered my Crayon Color is Powder Blue (wrong again -- I don't even like Powder Blue. I think I am much more a Lime Green or Navel Orange). Oh, and the Chemical Element from the Periodic Table I am most like is Iron. I think I can go along with that one. It's a good, basic, strong element, and I like to think of myself that way (sometimes rusty, heh).
Of course, that's what it's all about, right? How we think about ourselves, because these less than scientific samples are really the epitome of For Entertainment Only, but the interesting part of is saying "no, that's not me" or "yeah, that's about right" because regardless of the answer, that shows we know something about ourselves, doesn't it? Huh. And here I thought I was just procrastinating.
A lot of the Facebook quizzes are beyond ridiculous, and often come with completely stupid questions with misspellings and other kinds of hints that a 13 year old somewhere wrote it up. Still, I have from time to time found decent quiz that offered some interesting feedback, like the Myers-Briggs personality tests, or the Enneagrams quiz tests I took in one of the books I bought, and it was really somewhat enlightening. But those are TESTS, which are of course much more relevant than the lowly quiz.
How about you? Do you love a good online quiz? Do you know some that are particularly fun or worth taking? Have you ever found a self-administered quiz/test to really be worth the time it took to fill it tout? Or some that were just such silly fun you couldn't resist? Point the way and give it a go, share results, and have a little fun this Friday. :)
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Take them or leave them
I remember pouring over those quizzes in magazines years ago trying to make sense of my young world, but eventually saw them as basic entertainment, sort of the way I do the ones on Facebook. I only click on those in a weak moment and rarely share the results. I did yesterday, learning that in a movie Reese Witherspoon would be the right actor to play me: "The polite, kind, Southern girl with true family values. You put your family and principles before yourself. Providing a steady home and being a good role model are 2 of your goals."
A band mom friend asked me if I'd planned on dying my hair blond. Um, no.
A week or so ago I discovered my Star Trek character was Counselor Deanna Troi: "You are very perceptive of others feelings and intentions. Many people find that they can rely on you...plus you're hot!"
I can believe the counselor part but not the hot, lol!
Anyway, they are fun at times, but more often than not I hit ignore.
Same here...
I cave and take them as well, and rarely publish the results unless I think they are accurate in some way, or funny... but I also know people get annoyed by publishing the results, though I think it's okay if you only do a few now and then. There are a few folks who will take several in a row and post all of the results, and that is annoying.
I took a non-FB quiz last week for which Firefly/Serenity character are you, and it came up Zoe, which I thought was okay. I'm not quite that aggressive, but I'm certainly not either of the other women... well, maybe River, LOL. I can have those days...you know, no one seems to understand anything I'm saying, babbling gibberish, etc. ;)
Sam
I pretty much...
never take those tests. Though, I did put in my friend's son's psycho ex-girlfriend's name into a "What's your Mexican Wrestler Name?" one the other day. Came out "Cabeza Malo"--which means "Bad Head". Figured that one was spot on.
But I'd really love to take an IQ test that doesn't require me to buy anything to see the results, lol.
Dee
Ignorance is Bliss
I have avoided the IQ tests of any kind -- I'd rather just be as smart as I think I am. LOL
Sam
No Facebook
But I do like to read quizzes when I come across them. I especially like the kind Dee mentioned when you can learn your Hobbit Name, Pirate Name, etc. They're always so funny that they're a hoot.
Haven't taken any for awhile though.
ani
I give in
My quiz weak spot is the end of the day, or when I am tired, and braindead, and can't think of anything else to do. LOL But they are funny. I have to admit, like someone mentioned on this thread at FB, I think it was Chelle, with the home brew quizzes, I tend to enjoy the ones that even seem to have made some kind of stab at the questions being relevant to the result...
Sam
Quizzes...hate 'em
Wow, I sound cranky today, don't I? ;) I generally avoid quizzes like that in large part because I find myself saying "well, sometimes" when I click an answer. They're too pat for me. Plus I feel like they're the 21st century version of a "send this to all your friends" email.
Yup. Cranky. I need chocolate! ;)
Anne
www.annecalhoun.com
www.annecalhoun.wordpress.com
LOL
Just say what you think there... LOL
I can't say I think of them as the "pass it on" thing -- now, chain letters, anything that even smacks of that, I DO hate. The quizzes are largely individual, at least. :)
Get chocolate, LOL
Sam
I enjoyed taking the
I enjoyed taking the abbreviated Myers Briggs test because its one where you can't manipulate the answers to come out the way you want to be--if you know what I mean. As to silly quizzes, if I'm in the mood I really enjoy them. I've never taken an IQ test. My brother took one in school and came out very high. Since I know I'm smarter than him, I figured, why bother ;-)
Is that online?
Is that MB online? I did an enneagram test that came in an enneagram book I bought that wasn't for writers, but was the personality test version, and it was very interesting really. I enjoyed it. I was trying to find it when Laurie was here, because I couldn't remember my results, LOL, but I did find it very interesting for self-reflection.
I'm with you on the IQ test, see above response to Dee, LOL.
Sam
I took the test here
I took the test here http://www.keirsey.com/ It's the free version. For $$$ you can take a longer more accurate version.
Quiz-tacular!
I do the occasional FB quiz. The answers mean nothing but I have a great time sharing with my friends and commenting on their results. Apparently, I am Prince Humperdink from the Princess Bride, and my friend is a German Shepard.
I'm for the silly fun angle. How can 20 multiple-choice questions know my personality?
Exactly
It really is for fun only, and sometimes the questions are so stupid, LOL. Just has to be silly fun...
Sam
It depends....
I was really annoyed by all the quizzes at first, then I got into them - but I do try to limit myself. I don't like the "allowing information" for facebook...
And of course I got this "very nice" email from my sister today. Actually, she's not always that nice, and it was an email that only had this:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/164527-2/the_hidden_secrets_of_online_quizzes.html
... ironic you posted about the facebook quizzes. I love them... but hate the spam. Nothing doesn't come with strings these days, it seems.
True
It always pays to be careful about anything online. I don't worry about it accessing my profile, because there's nothing there that isn't just listed anywhere else; I don't do phone numbers or credit cards or any of that.
I did see a post there the other day that someone had clicked one of the ads on the sidebar, for coffee, and a lot of people had bogus charges made to their credit card from that coffee company. So I wouldn't touch the ads from FB, let along buy anything there.
Sam
Hm
Sam, I don't have my credit card of phone number, or address on Facebook either. But I'm not sure what I put on it when I first signed up - and if that information is somehow accessible. I do remove the quizzes from my settings after I take them. I know a few years ago there was some weird stuff on facebook tracking your usage so what you were buying on amazon somehow showed up on FB; ruining some Christmas present surprises.
As for Facebook ads... I think of them as a giant, horrible landmine. Best to avoid them, but that's really terrible about the coffee thing.
Kinda like the "kgb answer service" for cellphones - they're really unclear about the charges and I think they're really expensive. (I got curious and checked the site/company online... I guess there were tons of people who wanted to opt out.)
I used to love magazine quizzes
in Cosmo or Seventeen when I was a teen. Sometimes they could offer real insight. I virtually never do any online ones--they're just too silly!! I did do a Myers Briggs one and that was interesting, but as you said, not the same thing at all. I really don't care what superhero or flower I am.
Now, online tarot cards are a whole different story ;-)
Jen
http://www.jenlewis.com
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FB Quizzes
Hail to the Redskins!
Took the IQ test when I first went on FB and gave them my cell phone number, got all these spam texts, and next thing you knew, I was being charged for these spam texts. DH managed to get that cancelled. That was when I thought the IQ tests were part of FB. Our exchange student, Yearin, made the same mistake and we explained everything to her and reassured her that I had done the same thing. Now, dh and dd get a kick that according to the IQ quizzes (that they never took), dd has a higher IQ than dh.
I take the quizzes if someone sends me the application or I'm interested. For example, someone sent me an invite to take the Which Grease Character are you? I'm Sandy. I took the Star Trek Character Quiz and I'm Lt Uhura. I think I'm Orange in the coloring quiz, and I'm a German Shepard when it comes to dogs. I'm some kind of earth shoe when it comes to shoes and I'm a city girl. I laughed at that one. The only quiz that got to me was the what kind of wife are you? and that was distant. Um, dh and I have some fences to mend. Working on that one. I saw the fine print where you can skip sending these to friends, so I don't. I do publish the results, so if you want to take the quiz, you can.
I find them fun and don't take them seriously (except the distant wife). And I'm careful not to click on the fb ads any more. Oh yeah, I took the Brady Bunch Quiz, and am a lost Brady, lol. My favorite TV show as a kid!