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THE NEW JURY DUTY
How people are using the Web to size up their own behavior
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The Internet has made it possible for us to appraise everything under the sun, from Machu Picchu to manila folders.
And while we don't hesitate to heap praise and scorn upon public
figures via the comment sections of many sites, we haven't been as
quick to critique each other in ways that are more than skin-deep. Maybe that's because assessing people we know personally can stir up personal - as opposed to social - conflict.
But what if the assessment is solicited? A new crop of websites allows
users to ask for anonymous feedback about themselves from both friends
and strangers. While we don't think therapists should fear for their
jobs (yet), we wonder if logging on before seeking treatment wouldn't
save some serious time on the couch.
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Digital Slambooks:
Failin.gs
provides a forum for getting "anonymous constructive criticism" from
friends, though because it seeks to help users answer the question
"What is Wrong With Me?", it is perhaps an equally welcoming forum for
frenemies. (Indeed, once you set up a profile, the site instructs: "Sit
back and brace yourself for honesty you've never gotten before.").
After criticism is posted, users can organize it (yes, there's
color-coding!), agree, disagree, and comment on each complaint. While
the site ensures that only people who know the user can write anything
about him or her (it requires that prospective critics supply
information that only both of them would know before getting permission
to comment), we still think the site falls closer to the "brutal" end
of the "brutally honest" spectrum.
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Report Cards: Though BetterMe
takes a slightly more neutral stance than does Failin.gs, it works on a
similar premise, functioning as the virtual equivalent of a 'How's My
Driving?' sticker. The site allows users to not only get anonymous
feedback about themselves, but also to ask for evaluations of specific
matters and give feedback about others, including those who don't have
BetterMe accounts. On Anonymous Feedback,
communication runs one-way only; users can send confidential messages
to anyone anonymously, either online or, soon, via snail mail too. Hey,
PostSecret, we smell a side business for you in this.
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People's Court: The folks at NBC must have been trawling SideTaker and Instant Jury before green-lighting The Marriage Ref.
On these sites, feuding parties can take their disagreements to the
people, literally, by asking the public to vote, opine and ultimately
provide resolutions to their anonymously-posted grievances. While both
sites allow users to explain each side of an argument so that people
can weigh in, Instant Jury is somewhat more formal, assembling
impromptu "juries" and moving through a sequence of events (plaintiff
files case, defendant appears in court, plaintiff enters arguments, et.
al.) that wouldn't feel out of place on Law & Order.
Of course, with both sites, it's up to the parties themselves to decide
whether they'll honor the virtual verdicts in the real world.
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* References to products and services in trendcentral do not imply our endorsement, but rather are intended to provide objective insights into emerging trends and examples of those trends. trendcentral is published by The Intelligence Group, a trend research and consumer insights company focusing on youth culture. For more information on our services, or to subscribe to our syndicated Cassandra Report studies, please contact Noelle Weaver at 212-277-5244 or via email at nweaver@intelg.com.
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