back to article Age guessing with Microsoft is FUN! Now give us your metadata

Microsoft has unwrapped a metadata-slurping website powered by user-uploaded pictures which pretends to be a fun age-guessing game. While the page's inability to accurately guess users' ages might seem an amusing cock-up on Redmond's part, the machine learning boffins who set up the page are content to slurp up the JavaScript …

  1. frank ly

    "... to help Bill Gates sell his services ..."

    I don't know how old the author is, but things have moved on quite a bit.

    1. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

      Re: "... to help Bill Gates sell his services ..."

      beat me to it...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Joke

      Re: "... to help Bill Gates sell his services ..."

      I hear Thomas Edison is hoping to move into LED light bulbs soon.

    3. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Re: "... to help Bill Gates sell his services ..."

      It's tongue in cheek.

      C.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "... to help Bill Gates sell his services ..."

        Let m correct you

        It's tongue in cheek.

        corrected text

        It's tongue in Ass Crack

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Really, there were no other massive photos?

    Dear el Reg,

    You remember that whole storm a while back about rampant sexism in IT and how you covered stories about how horrible women had been trated in IT, concuring that it was horrible.

    .... and then you grab the most provocative photo of a lady in her pants to promote a non-story in kind of the way you expect the Daily Fail sidebar to do..

    may be not do that and may be less women will feel inclined to consider IT men a bunch of stereotypical d....

    1. O RLY
      Paris Hilton

      Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

      The picture is of el Reg's muse, siren, belle, lady of enchantment in her typical state. That's not just any woman clad in next to nothing.

    2. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

      If she really is 30 years old then she's certainly been giving McDonalds and Burger King a swerve for the last 20 years.

    3. Little Mouse

      Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

      "you covered stories about how horrible women had been treated in IT"

      All the horrible people I encounter at work tend to get the same treatment from me, regardless of gender.

    4. codejunky Silver badge

      Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

      @AC

      And of course this picture is sexist! There is only a woman represented! And of course the picture is racist! She is white! And it is against feminism because while the girl posed like that out of choice (which is an image available for use on such websites as the reg) she is just some brainwashed bimbo who is not representing the puritanical views of people such as this anonymous coward!

      Not that the AC would be promoting the idea that a womans body is not hers to do with as she so choose? Nor would the AC be suggesting she should not have the freedom to take such an image? Nor suggesting that she should not be allowed a career in modelling if she so chooses? Nor suggesting her image should be banned from use in the regular news space which pays for her career choice?

      Are you?

      1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

        Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

        And of course this picture is sexist!

        Did you get possessed by a Dworkin ghost or something?

    5. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

      "you grab the most provocative photo of a lady in her pants"

      As others have pointed out, it's Paris Hilton. The Reg has had a long-running relationship with the hotel heiress. We named our space-plane after her, put it in space, and broke a world record. She's a trope.

      Working in the tech press, let alone the IT world, I've seen sexism first hand, and it's awful. I've seen PRs think it's a good idea to take women journalists out shopping rather than give them interviews. I've seen execs shut women out of conversations at the bar. I've seen inappropriate touching at dinner.

      Running Paris Hilton through an AI algo isn't even close to it.

      C.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

        It so often starts small though.

        One day you're catching butterflies in a net, the next you're chainsawing tusks off elephants you just shot.

        1. Rusty 1
          WTF?

          Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

          One day you're growing a moustache, the next you're invading Poland.

          Why start?

          Really, why start down this road, knowing that others will only go "a little bit fuhrer", and it won't hurt?

          If *you* don't stop this behaviour at the beginning, at the low level, how on earth can you criticise others? You fuel the fires of those who go further.

          I presume you reported the cases of women being excluded and inappropriate touching (to the police)? What was the response?

          diodesign, grow a pair, and don't support this.

          1. NinjasFTW

            Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

            Is the definition of irony someone complaining about sexism telling someone else to grow a pair?

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

        Are you sure that's Paris Hilton and not just her head grafted on Theresa May's body?

    6. Captain DaFt

      Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

      Sheesh!

      OK, something for the ladies: http://tmblr.co/Z1qxwr1jQWDiD

      A bit NSFW, just some 'Practical Male Armor'.

      (I just wish I'd look so good in it!)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

        Next up: Lady Ada, La Reine des Ordinateurs.

        That would be victorian enough to not be sexist.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

          "La Reine des Ordinateurs"

          Connaissez-vous la belle souveraine du monde qui marche toujours et ne se fatigue jamais? (To a Victorian a modern computer would indeed be magical.)

    7. Denarius
      Trollface

      Re: Really, there were no other massive photos?

      My dearest sensitive AC, so alert to possible sin/offense/misrepresentation. Has it occurred to you, old chum, me ol china, that the humble techies that peruse this journal have to stand at the back of a long, long line of males and females in the queue to be considered for sexist behaviour? Every geek I have ever met in a 20 year IT career, has been concerned with "what do you know". Unless looking for a date, never gender. HR departments and CEOs, IMNSHO, have practiced gender discrimination far more than any publication using an image of an apparent bimbo for hire. I, for one, welcome the lovely Paris back to gracing the pages of this august publication after a too long an absence. Now to clean the trowel...

      For what little anecdotal evidence is worth, the female techies in my corner of the IT empire are most intimidating, especially to earnest proponents of the "let me help you, your poor helpless female"' do-gooder/moral censor character.

      As for M$ and uploading photos for free, who trusts any company with offices in the 5 Eyes territories ? As Snowden and Chelsea demonstrated, the tins hats were wrong. Reality is way worse so tell 'em nothing or as little as possible. The French Cardinal Richelieus comment still holds, so don't write a paragraph. Oh wait.

  3. Fred Dibnah
    Alert

    Almost fell for it

    Saw this on the Torygraph site this morning (oh the shame) and considered giving it a try with a photo from my PC - but then I took a look at the T&Cs and decided not to:

    "Microsoft does not claim ownership of any materials you provide to Microsoft (including feedback and suggestions) or post, upload, input, or submit to any Website Services for review by the general public, or by the members of any public or private community (collectively "Submissions"). However, by posting, uploading, inputting, providing, or submitting your Submission, you are granting Microsoft, its affiliated companies, and necessary sublicensees permission to use your Submission in connection with the operation of their Internet businesses (including, without limitation, all Microsoft services), including, without limitation, the license rights to: copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, translate, and reformat your Submission; to publish your name in connection with your Submission; and to sublicense such rights to any supplier of the Website Services."

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: Almost fell for it

      I don't see how they can do that, unless your name is something like DSC_1234.jpg.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Almost fell for it

      This is presumably similar to the licence under which the Torygraph got its letter from "5000 businessmen" in support of the Conservatives - many of whom claimed that their names had appeared on it merely because they happened to look at the page.

      Now try finding out about the owners of the Telegraph.

    3. Jamie Jones Silver badge

      Re: Almost fell for it

      Those "conditions" mean nothing when they can't prove it was you that uploaded the image in the first place

  4. King Jack
    Trollface

    Old Fairground Attraction (Scam)

    When I were a lad and went the fair there was booth where you paid someone to guess your age. If they got it right you got some money back. If not you lose your cash. This is the modern version and folk still fall for it.

    1. Havin_it
      Paris Hilton

      Re: Old Fairground Attraction (Scam)

      >If they got it right you got some money back. If not you lose your cash.

      So they were better paid for failure?

      Anyone else glimpse in this the origins of Crapita, AbunchofTOSsers et al?

      1. Mark 85

        Re: Old Fairground Attraction (Scam)

        Never been to a carnie then? Many of the "attractions" and "games" are set up that way.

        1. Havin_it
          Holmes

          Re: Old Fairground Attraction (Scam)

          Alas no, only carnies we ever got up my way were either (a) in lorries with nothing but huge mechanical things designed to make you nervous (and spill your change), or (b) local bin men.

          I tend to file them under Proof That Mankind Does Not Yet Deserve To (Nor Probably Ever Will) Become An Interstellar Society, along with the thriving existence of companies like the abovementioned, our slow progress in achieving species-wide peace and cooperation, and truck balls.

          I did have a bit of a thing for Eddi Reader back then though...

  5. WonkoTheSane
    Big Brother

    Tinfoil hat time

    Lots of pics to top up 3-letter-agency facial recognition databases.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Tinfoil hat time

      That reminds me. I must remember to switch off wifi when heading into the supermarket.

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I can't help wondering

      It only takes a minute to test it. Short answer; the algorithm can't see a face. It doesn't seem to test whether it can see butterflies.

      Perhaps if someone could discover the original at high res and under better lighting conditions we could do a more objective test.

  7. Mark 85

    Farcebook is loaded with these....

    There's "let's guess your age", "your name", "your date of death" (that sounds like a winner) and others. I'm guessing that they're all grabbing even more data than FB. I have some friends that use FB and play these games/sites and then suddenly get upset by the obvious increase in spam emails and ads. But no, you can't talk sense to them because it's "all in fun".....

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I find this kind of PR R&D manipulative and creepy...

    Why do people sign up for this... Who has the time even???

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Holmes

      Re: I find this kind of PR R&D manipulative and creepy...

      The same people posting on Reg forums. Maybe they exchange telly time for this?

  9. DrM

    Moan

    Moan, moan, moan, everyone is out to get us! Lighten up, have some fun! :-)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Moan

      Roger Waters did a whole CD about that mindset called "Amused to Death".

      (Awkwardly old M. Waters seems to consider Chiang-Kai-Chek "turning Taiwan into a shoe factory" a greater evil than Mao doing a continent-wide socialism-promoting ultrakill. To each his own I reckon...)

      1. Roj Blake Silver badge

        Re: Moan

        On the other hand "And in the Spring of '48, Mao Tse Tung got quite irate" has to be one of the best rhyming couplets ever.

  10. WP7Mango

    What's the big deal about the metadata?

    The metadata being sent is the same data that ALL browsers send to any web server, based on your browser settings. As for the photo metadata, well so what? There should be no personal information in there unless you specifically added it.

    Why are you making some kind of a big deal out of it?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What's the big deal about the metadata?

      We don't know yet.

  11. Pen-y-gors

    An interesting new defence

    But Milud, Microsoft said she was 18!

  12. Russle

    we should start a gofundme page so we can all SUE the F out of Redmond and they goons for this crap and Windows10 spying.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Fun times

    While it's pretty good at guessing my age, the wife gave it a crack and got identified as a 13yo female without glasses, and 37 and male with glasses.

    Much laughter ensued

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