I work as the Communication Coordinator of an art gallery and one of the things I do is track our website and facebook statistics. These little pie charts and bar graphs with their information about who is visiting from where and how many times can make a person a bit obsessive compulsive. I find myself checking my own website statistics regularly, especially if I post something. In my own art practice I use statistics and documents as the jumping off point to create performative representations and reenactments. So when someone pointed me to OKCupid’s blog, my heart leapt. Not because I was browsing for girls to date online, but because they demonstrate some of the most hilarious uses of statistics I have ever seen. Based on their own dating site user’s data, they create clever (if not ridiculous) “advice” columns for users based on seemingly bizarre correlations.
I always wanted to sign up for Eharmony just to see how they would profile me. I love the idea that surveys, algorithms and stats can create “compatible” matches between two people – assuming of course we want someone who is exactly like us (maybe that’s unfair – maybe there’s a box you click for “Do not pair me with people as messed up as me”). OKCupid’s stats are much funnier, but also speak volumes about our comfort level with this use of technology for romantic purposes. More importantly, OKCupid’s blog is an advice column, so they give you pointers on how to use their system to better attract potential mates. For example; As women get older they can attract 79% percent more-than-usual messages from potential mates per month if they show some cleavage in their profile photos. For younger women, the percentage of increased messages is only 24%. Men flexing their abs, on the other hand, have the reverse effect – declining with age. They still get more than usual responses from women they message, but not at the same rate.
Of course I chose the most crass of the examples I could find, but there are lots more. The recent posts about race-trending are interesting as well.
Maybe I should start a project where I sign up for a dating site, get a few dates lined up, and then send my impostor Jacqueline van de Geer in my place. I guess the online dating scene is just a stats game.
