Curiosities of Anonymity, or Me and Dating

The good thing about being able to give anonymous feedback of any sort is an ability to be honest without fear (obviously). The bad thing, from a data analysis standpoint, is that any feedback given is only of questionably truthful value. Generally, given lack of reason to suspect otherwise, though, I will take anonymous polling as at least somewhat reliable, so long as the same people cannot vote multiple times and so on.

That is what is curious about the reports I get from the Facebook app, “Compare People.” Compare People shows you two of your Facebook friends and asks you a question. You pick the friend that fits best, or choose to skip the question if the answer is “none of the above” (or you do not feel like answering it). The curious thing is the results I keep getting from my 141 friends. For example, here are my current top ten ratings (e.g. those descriptors that I am in the tenth percentile or higher within the realm of my friends):

2nd in “Who is better at science”
3rd in “Who has prettier eyes”
3rd in “Who is sexier”
4th in “Who is nicer”
6th in “Who would I rather date”
7th in “Who is more tech-savvy”
7th in “Who is more confident”
7th in “Who is cuter”

Notably, according to a note it sent me today, I just moved up five places in the “sexiest” category and five in the “most datable” category. This makes me ask, “precisely who is voting in this thing?” Sexy is not usually a word that comes anywhere near me, and, for that matter, general trends do not suggest I am a popular pick for dating.

I'm not complaining or anything, it just makes me scratch my head…