Just because it's commercial doesn't mean it's a bad idea

May 23, 2012 3:09 AM

Klout interface for Metafilter?

Klout it what it is... a relatively blunt instrument for measuring social networking influence. They are adding heaps of networks to their portfolio, which seems to indicate quite a flexible API.

I think quite a few of the contributors here spend a significant amount of their social networking time on metafilter, thus have there been any considerations for plugging into Klout? Everyone's contributing already, why not measure it?

posted by nickrussell to Feature Requests at 3:09 AM (102 comments total)

This sums up my feelings pretty well.
posted by lwb at 3:16 AM on May 23, 2012 [24 favorites]

Maybe because Klout is an asinine measurement of e-penis, and made further irrelevant by their self-gaming, increasing your klout by inviting people, filling out forms, using offers, etc.
posted by CharlesV42 at 3:17 AM on May 23, 2012 [23 favorites]

@lwb why?
posted by nickrussell at 3:18 AM on May 23, 2012

CharlesV42 just answered that one for me pretty well, I think.
posted by lwb at 3:19 AM on May 23, 2012 [4 favorites]

(Though maybe I'm wrong about the self-gaming. Sorry for the klout-rage. I agree for people who think it's important, metafilter would be a great metric!)
posted by CharlesV42 at 3:20 AM on May 23, 2012

This is the best summary of reasons I've come across to not get involved with Klout.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 3:31 AM on May 23, 2012 [8 favorites]

Please, no.
posted by bardophile at 3:51 AM on May 23, 2012 [3 favorites]

I can't think of a reason to do this that would be a net positive for the site. Anything that gives people here more statistics to argue about is not something we'd be likely to implement.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:07 AM on May 23, 2012 [19 favorites]

Friendships are not fucking fodder for rewards.

Socializing isn't a game with godddamn winners and losers.

Knout saw that, somewhere on the Internet, people were talking to each other, making connections, forming memories, bonding, and thought: We can monetize this.

Burn that shit with fire.
posted by Rory Marinich at 4:13 AM on May 23, 2012 [45 favorites]

that dog turd over there is what it is... a steaming pile of crap. so why not step in it?
posted by russm at 4:14 AM on May 23, 2012 [3 favorites]

I think MeFi should implement the little klout membership icon just not support the API. It would help us identify the SEO intrepreneurs.
posted by DU at 4:20 AM on May 23, 2012 [6 favorites]

(I hope "interpreneurs" is actually a joke and not a terrible portmanteau I've just never come across before.)
posted by DU at 4:21 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

Klout will be dead and gone within three years, if that, so why would you?
posted by MartinWisse at 4:28 AM on May 23, 2012

No such luck.
posted by Skorgu at 4:28 AM on May 23, 2012

I was quite pleased with myself when I coined the term 'contrapreneur' a while ago. But as usual, the Internet got there first about a hundred and fifty times.
posted by pipeski at 4:32 AM on May 23, 2012

Intrapreneur seems to be something different than what I meant by interpreneur. But I will freely admit that idiots come up with stupid and ugly words all the time and I probably have not been the first with this one.

Another good one is "klout".
posted by DU at 4:42 AM on May 23, 2012 [2 favorites]

As an aside, thank you for not calling this a pony request.
posted by Chekhovian at 4:43 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

If someone is influential and few people are aware of that fact, the person probably likes it that way. If someone is influential and they want people to know, people will know.

Meanwhile, I'll accept the fact that I'm a jerk for considering Klout badges to be a great idea solely because when I see that logo, it reminds me of the business card scene in American Psycho, except the only murders involved are of people's internet egos.
posted by Saydur at 5:34 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

I have purposefully opted out of Klout tracking or scoring or data-aggregating through a snazzy form on the Klout site.

I would not appreciate MeFi using the Klout API as I suspect I'd have to hassle the mods to keep me opted out. I have a strong suspicion Klout would renege on my "oh HELL no" option, because they seem sleazy that way.
posted by subbes at 5:41 AM on May 23, 2012

subbes: "I have purposefully opted out of Klout tracking"

So uh, is this something that every good internet citizen is supposed to do? Because up until just now, I've never heard of Klout. But apparently I need to go opt out?
posted by Grither at 5:44 AM on May 23, 2012

P.S. MeFi is not a "social networking" site. It is a community weblog and if any of you motherfuckers try to "network" with me I will strangle you with your bright-red investment-banker braces, you cretinous slimy sleazeball.
posted by subbes at 5:44 AM on May 23, 2012 [5 favorites]

Grither: After I heard of someone not being hired by a tech firm because their Klout score was too low, and another who didnt know their Klout score being chided about it, I decided to take a curmudgeonly stand so I can brightly say to interviewers that I've opted out of the gamification of interpersonal relationships.

(This was in no way influenced by XKCD. I do not like XKCD or read it.)
posted by subbes at 5:50 AM on May 23, 2012 [2 favorites]

According to Klout, Justin Bieber is the most influential person on the Internet.

Enough said.
posted by COD at 5:54 AM on May 23, 2012 [3 favorites]

After I heard of someone not being hired by a tech firm because their Klout score was too low...

wtf

...and another who didnt know their Klout score being chided about it...

Oh man. How do you check your score and/or opt-out without signing in?
posted by DU at 6:03 AM on May 23, 2012

Go to their website, follow the link for their Privacy boilerplate, and read the fine print.

They make you log into Twitter out Facebook to verify your identity.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 6:05 AM on May 23, 2012

The word entrepreneur comes from two French words - entre , which means between; and preneur from prendre - to take. Thus, an entrepreneur is a third party who involves themself in an actual relationship and proceeds to take as much as they can.

(Please note: the preceding derives at least as much from snark as from etymology.)

Modern society does seem to have produced an awful lot of jackals who believe themselves to be lions.
posted by Grangousier at 6:06 AM on May 23, 2012 [2 favorites]

Ah, so refusing to have a Facebook account (and just now deactivating my only-linked-to-identica-anyway Twitter account) has prevented me from this fresh hell as well? Excellent.
posted by DU at 6:09 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

I never heard of this until this week's xkcd. I feel so out of the loop but somehow that doesn't bother me.
posted by octothorpe at 6:17 AM on May 23, 2012

subbes: "After I heard of someone not being hired by a tech firm because their Klout score was too low, and another who didnt know their Klout score being chided about it, I decided to take a curmudgeonly stand so I can brightly say to interviewers that I've opted out of the gamification of interpersonal relationships.
"

Ok cool, so if I've never been to the site, I don't have a score and thus don't need to do anything about it, right? Phew!
posted by Grither at 6:21 AM on May 23, 2012

They skim Facebook/Twitter/&c. for publicly available information, from the sound of their privacy policy, so you probably have a shadow profile. At least that was the impression I got.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 6:23 AM on May 23, 2012

All the preening about not being interested is only going to increase your Klout score.
posted by Burhanistan at 6:24 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

I deleted my Klout account. It's no where near accurate. It doesn't take into account your website or more than one twitter account. It also encourages you to post for the sake of posting.

It seldom had things I was interested in and even the "free" offers usually made you sign up for something or give away information to get.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:39 AM on May 23, 2012

Too many people already equate Favorites with clout, do we really need another stupid metric people will use to see which one of us is the omgohsoawesomesauce?
posted by Apoch at 6:41 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

I don't understand this recent need to attach a ranking or number to everything. Socialize because you enjoy it and it enriches your life. Not as homework to get a better grade on your internet self-esteem. If Klout is something that would encourage disingenuous interaction in an attempt to game the system and boost numbers I hope it doesn't enter the MeFi world.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 6:41 AM on May 23, 2012

Social networking on MetaFilter
posted by mkultra at 6:45 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

I've noticed this "skimming" of public profiles with other sites recently. If you use the same unique username on different sites you might be surprised at the shadow profiles that appear when you check that name on namechk.com. I found at least two with services I know I didn't sign up for but which allow me to log into that profile with my twitter/facebook account.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 6:51 AM on May 23, 2012 [3 favorites]

Opted out. thanks for the tip.

Oh, and I agree with jessamyn and apoch's comments in this thread.
posted by terrapin at 7:16 AM on May 23, 2012

This pony makes me feel kinda icky.

Before I got my current job, I'd been looking for a couple of years (yes), and had gotten to the point where many otherwise silly requests that might get me an interview could seem reasonable. A few companies (not all start-ups) had this new, bizarre demand to provide my "Klout score".

Once I got it all hooked up and did as asked for the first one, I was bummed. It felt like a new low in my web presence. When the next couple of places I encountered made the request and I sent my score along, that feeling only intensified. It was worse than the Facebook feeling, and even trumped the MySpace malaise. Since job searching these days can get pretty humiliating, I just sorted it into that baggage.

Now that I've a new-ish position and am no longer (actively) searching, I kind of resent the occasional mails they send and keep thinking I should disentangle myself. But with this economy the way it is, and the sociopathy of hiring parties regarding online presence being what it is, I'm hesitant to sever this potential differentiator.

For that long-winded reason alone, I would never want to contaminate my MetaFilter existence with Kloutness. Not even if it bumped my score to 3 digits forevermore.
posted by batmonkey at 7:17 AM on May 23, 2012 [2 favorites]

(2) I decided to deliver a smackdown to a certain bunch of people, and so I do it now.

I will begin with Valentina Yefimovna. This undomestic individual invites us over to her place and serves some kind of sour crud instead of food. I enjoy eating and know my food well. I will not be misled by some sour crud! Sometimes I even go into restaurants to see what kind of food is inside. And I can't stand it when people don't accommodate this peculiarity of my character.

Now I move on to Leonid Savelyevich Lipavsky. He immodestly tells me that every month he gets ten ideas.

First of all, he's lying. He doesn't get ten, he gets fewer.

And second of all, I get more. I haven't counted how many I get in a month, but it must be more than he does…

But I, for example, don't go around rubbing your face in it, saying that I have, you know, a colossal intellect. I have every piece of data I need to consider myself a great man. And, incidentally, that's exactly what I think of myself.

And for this exact reason it makes me upset and pains me to be among people who don't occupy my high position in terms of intelligence, insight, and raw talent, if I don't feel like they're paying me the proper respect.

Why, why am I better than everyone else?     — Daniil Kharms, 1933-1934
posted by Nomyte at 7:20 AM on May 23, 2012 [2 favorites]

Don't doubt the Klout--you know what I'm about.
posted by box at 7:25 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

After I heard of someone not being hired by a tech firm because their Klout score was too low ...

Last spring Sam Fiorella was recruited for a VP position at a large Toronto marketing agency. With 15 years of experience consulting for major brands like AOL, Ford, and Kraft, Fiorella felt confident in his qualifications. But midway through the interview, he was caught off guard when his interviewer asked him for his Klout score. Fiorella hesitated awkwardly before confessing that he had no idea what a Klout score was.

The interviewer pulled up the web page for Klout.com—a service that purports to measure users’ online influence on a scale from 1 to 100—and angled the monitor so that Fiorella could see the humbling result for himself: His score was 34. “He cut the interview short pretty soon after that,” Fiorella says. Later he learned that he’d been eliminated as a candidate specifically because his Klout score was too low. “They hired a guy whose score was 67.” *

posted by ericb at 7:31 AM on May 23, 2012 [3 favorites]

He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is found here.
posted by hot_monster at 7:33 AM on May 23, 2012 [3 favorites]

A few companies (not all start-ups) had this new, bizarre demand to provide my "Klout score".

After looking at your profile to determine you wouldn't have been looking for a marketing job: W.T.F.

Why on earth would a company deliberately want to hire people with a proven track record of spending most of their time commenting on the Internet? Or were they looking for a low score?
posted by DU at 7:52 AM on May 23, 2012

One place was looking for an über-Admin who could go from tending to the sensitive needs of the Dev team to fulfilling most of the roles of an Operations Coordinator. Perhaps there was a posting element to the position not made apparent in the job description, too. Still a bit mystifying.

Another was a customer service role with heavy social media participation, which sort of made sense, but I'm still not convinced that someone's Klout score is a good sign of real social networking chops, since it really is very blunt and there are many nuances beyond number of connections and shares.

Yet another was bog-standard Admin Assistant, and I think they were just high on power.

The one that surprised me the most was for a junior Project Manager position. If I were hiring Project Managers (and I have done), I would only ask if, as you say, I wanted to focus on the ones that had the lowest numbers.

There were a couple of others at start-ups with the "many hats" model, and I assumed they wanted someone they could plug into the social media outlet at will, but who knows...?

For the (pointless) record, my score is in the mid-50s and is likely to stay there, as I'm not interested in tweaking it in the least, even if I miss out on working somewhere with roving masseurs and a daily basket of fresh berries at my desk.
posted by batmonkey at 8:04 AM on May 23, 2012

DU, they were looking for someone with a high score that, in their mind, is equivalent to having a high internet social influence. I can understand why marketeers might think it's a useful tool for identifying and spreading brand loyalty. But it's still stupid.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 8:06 AM on May 23, 2012

Yeah, just hiring on a Klout score would imply that they wanted to take advantage of your existing connections. Someone can be really savvy at navigating and utilizing social networks without necessarily being recognized. But, if Klout is just branding themselves as some sort of influence ranking then they really aren't to blame for the asinine practices of star-eyed tech firms. Still, Klout should be a good netizen and burn all of its servers and backups.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:08 AM on May 23, 2012

Klout is the stupidest fucking idea I've ever heard for a web start-up. The only thing more stupid is that so many people and organisations appear to take it seriously. I'd never heard of it before the XKCD comic.

By the way, the whole concept strikes me as quite American - and I don't mean that in a good way. Has this Klout craze infected anywhere else?
posted by salmacis at 8:11 AM on May 23, 2012

I also opted out without reading the xkcd (also not a fan, as I am a fuzzy-haired academ and therefore not in the target market). I'm horrified by reading the stories about the people not hired because of their Klout scores. On the other hand, nthing the people that think companies that want a high Klout score are looking for people to sell their company on personal time and webspace.

It's good that we've had a mod statement against hooking up with Klout. I don't want to think of the nasty things we could catch that way.
posted by immlass at 8:34 AM on May 23, 2012

Klout thinks I am influential about North Korea.

(In case you were wondering: I am not influential about North Korea.)
posted by BitterOldPunk at 8:35 AM on May 23, 2012 [4 favorites]

Mein Klout.
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 8:35 AM on May 23, 2012

What jessamyn said. Not a thing we're gonna do, no.

Why on earth would a company deliberately want to hire people with a proven track record of spending most of their time commenting on the Internet?

That's what I said, but Matt keeps sending me checks!

Don't doubt the Klout--you know what I'm about.

Oh good lord if ever there was a service that needed an 80s era white-people-rapping-in-a-breakfast-cereal marketing angle...
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:36 AM on May 23, 2012 [5 favorites]

Klout must never be allowed to escape the watery tomb in which it was buried so many millennia ago.
posted by The Whelk at 8:45 AM on May 23, 2012

This is the first time a scenario has been proposed where I've ever imagined I might close my Metafilter account voluntarily. (I have previously always assumed I'd just get banned one day.)
posted by jeffamaphone at 8:45 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

When I first logged into Klout, it said I was influential in "Tyler Perry"

now it says I'm influential in "Doritos"
posted by hellojed at 8:54 AM on May 23, 2012 [5 favorites]

Klouchebag is better. mathowie and jessamyn are mostly alright but cortex apparently is quite noisy.
posted by hariya at 8:59 AM on May 23, 2012 [3 favorites]

measurement of e-penis
posted by CharlesV42 at 5:17 AM on May 23

20" SAIT?
posted by dios at 9:01 AM on May 23, 2012

Is it weird that hellojed's experience makes me want to try it?
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:01 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

(I'm really glad I previewed before posting -- because the way I had originally written it I was responding to the comment above me... which would have meant I was intrigued by 20".... which... well... I'm going now.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:02 AM on May 23, 2012

20" SAIT?

Across or diagonal? Does it have optical inputs?
posted by Nomyte at 9:04 AM on May 23, 2012

User Greg Nog is influential in:

Butts

Buts

Bbutts

Riker

posted by Greg Nog at 9:31 AM on May 23, 2012 [8 favorites]

As an aside, thank you for not calling this a pony request.

Yes, I hate killing little ponies. With petrol and a match.
posted by infini at 9:36 AM on May 23, 2012

Frankie Boyle: Facepalm central.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 9:38 AM on May 23, 2012

Klouchebag is better. mathowie and jessamyn are mostly alright but cortex apparently is quite noisy.

Sure, that topline doesn't look great, but you really have dig into the internals to appreciate what's going on with my unique discursive style. For example, there's a balancing factor between ALL CAPS and no caps, so compressing both into a single metric is foolishness itself. Beyond which, calling that "English misuse" implies a lack of intentionality that I can't abide: when I abuse the language, it is with intent and profound self-awareness. It is English mal-use.

Also, there's no discussion of how much of my swearing ("Anger") coincides with my English Misuse; if I'm going to make the effort to type FUCKING COCKBOGGLER in all caps, that needs to be considered as a dimension in the analysis.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:44 AM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

THE COCKBURGLER STRIKES AGAIN
posted by The Whelk at 9:45 AM on May 23, 2012

greg nog has clearly stolen my online identity

FOR SHAME SIR
posted by elizardbits at 9:46 AM on May 23, 2012

Now I'm thinking about things that might boggle a cock ("Survey says..."). I could complain about Metafilter ruining my vacation but I'm just waiting for the wife to get out of the shower...
posted by nanojath at 9:59 AM on May 23, 2012

FUCKING COCKBGOGGBBLER

FTFY
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 10:38 AM on May 23, 2012

I signed up out of curiosity when it launched, and haven't checked back until just now.

Klout tells me

You are the hub of social scenes and people count on you to find out what's happening. You are quick to connect people and readily share your social savvy. Your followers appreciate your network and generosity.

which, considering the Twitter account in question just tweets automatically whenever I update my website, suggests Klout is a complete load of wibble.

Grither: "Ok cool, so if I've never been to the site, I don't have a score and thus don't need to do anything about it, right? Phew!"

IIRC, if any of your Twitter friends have signed up, Klout slurps up your info too, so you might have a Klout score without ever having signed up.

Saydur: "it reminds me of the business card scene in American Psycho"

One of the 'perks' on my Klout page is free business cards.
posted by jack_mo at 11:56 AM on May 23, 2012

And another perk for 'high scorers': High Klout Score? Get a Free Pass to Cathay Pacific's SFO Lounge.

/groan
posted by ericb at 12:22 PM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

(2) I decided to deliver a smackdown to a certain bunch of people, and so I do it now.


OK, Nomyte, I've been googling, and there's a lot of (scant, scattered) information. MeFi's previous take was pretty spotty. Time for a revisit? (And is the translation you posted yours?)
posted by junco at 1:21 PM on May 23, 2012

(spotty in the sense that the discussion didn't really get going. The FPP I linked to has quite a lot of good links.)
posted by junco at 1:23 PM on May 23, 2012

Conversations aren't contests!
posted by JDHarper at 2:05 PM on May 23, 2012

if any of your Twitter friends have signed up, Klout slurps up your info too, so you might have a Klout score without ever having signed up.

Is that it. I was wondering how the hell I got one.

Since I never signed up for one (dammit) it seems unreasonable to require me to log in to delete it. I need to look into other ways to contact them to say "take it down, dammit, I didn't sign up for it and do not want it (you assholes)".
posted by Lexica at 2:24 PM on May 23, 2012

If your Twitter feed is public they are fully within their right to utilize the data in any way that does not violate Twitter's TOS.
posted by COD at 2:34 PM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

Okay, the combination of hellojed's experience and the Wired article required me to, against my better judgment, sign up. Klout now acknowledges my unrivaled influence regarding matters of "Payroll" and "National League", so PLZ RT IF U THINK DH RULE ARTIFICIALLY DISTORTS NL WAGESCALE
posted by antonymous at 2:46 PM on May 23, 2012

Just signed up:
Your Klout Score:
40.20

Man, I'm the best.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:05 PM on May 23, 2012

OK, Nomyte, I've been googling, and there's a lot of (scant, scattered) information. MeFi's previous take was pretty spotty. Time for a revisit? (And is the translation you posted yours?)

It figures that misteraitch would post something like that. Growing up, I would visit his Spamula regularly. It was a treasure.

As far as Kharms — I had the small collected Kharms on hand last night and read that bit after dinner. I can't read Kharms for long, he scares me. But this bit seemed relevant. (I'm not sure what I'd put in an FPP about Kharms. He exists in English translation, which is… adequate for what it is. I am certainly not a Kharms scholar, so I can't highlight any funny episodes from his life and times. I might pick up a biography.)

The translation is mine, and the translation is a touch rough, because this is a thread about Klout, not Kharms. (I wish it was a thread about Kharms.) Kharms's Russian is irreverent and absurd, so I went for a Metafilter-inspired diction. I think it works, but that's because I succeed at everything I do.
posted by Nomyte at 3:14 PM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm sickened by the idea that a calculation using facebook friend or twitter follower count might someday result in my being granted or denied a job. But then I'm reminded that I'm an academic, with an h-index.
posted by rlk at 4:05 PM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

Scalzi had a pretty good take on it a while back. And I completely agree with him.

Klout is utter nonsense.
posted by MissySedai at 4:38 PM on May 23, 2012

Klute.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:50 PM on May 23, 2012

Klout is a toy to do funny things with, like when we all ganged up and made sambosambo influential on doughnuts.

(Even though he is.)

It is not a realistic magizmo to be taken seriously for anything, ever. It's just a goofy toy that'll go belly up in a year or two once the Lucrative Sponsorship Wossits find out that they are not, in fact, getting the lucre.
posted by cmyk at 7:00 PM on May 23, 2012

Nomyte: "20" SAIT?
Across or diagonal? "
Around.
posted by dg at 7:26 PM on May 23, 2012

Now I'm thinking about things that might boggle a cock ("Survey says...").

Basilisks?
posted by misha at 7:54 PM on May 23, 2012

We were at a family reunion in Branson (I know), and me, being all of 12 or so, wanted to ride the gokarts at a place called something like, Krazy Klyde's Krazy Karts.

My father told me, "Every place you see that uses a 'k' in place of a 'c'? They're Nazi sympathizers."
posted by klangklangston at 8:15 PM on May 23, 2012 [3 favorites]

Kool story, clang.
posted by box at 8:18 PM on May 23, 2012 [4 favorites]

This thread did prompt me to log in to Klout for the first time in over a year. I've apparently declined significantly in the last 90 days, which makes as much sense as their general bullshit. Probably because I've been posting fewer blog entries lately, and so my tweets have been fewer.

But what cracks me up is the categories they list me as influential in:

(In order of influence)

Music
Video
Karl Rove
Math
Movies
Dyslexia
Pizza
Editor
Glendale

So, my next tweet's gonna pretty much be #music#video#KarlRove#math#movies#dyslexia#pizza#editor#Glendale

Then I'll be recognized for the Klout I have.
posted by klangklangston at 8:25 PM on May 23, 2012

Now I'm going through and giving ironic Klutes to people who are listed as having "influence," like to ThinLizzy for "Houston."
posted by klangklangston at 8:33 PM on May 23, 2012

Good lord, people are using Klout for job interviews? I fear that I'd wind up asking back what the Magic 8-Ball or today's horoscope said about me, in that event.
posted by DoctorFedora at 9:58 PM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

My father told me, "Every place you see that uses a 'k' in place of a 'c'? They're Nazi sympathizers."

Yes, but your father is a mefite so we need pics or a cite else it didn't happen.
posted by infini at 10:17 PM on May 23, 2012

This is not a pony, this is a poisonous snake in the grass.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 11:17 PM on May 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm so cool I'd never heard about Klout until about fifteen minutes ago.
Now, of course, I'm convinced it's a front for Scientology.
posted by philip-random at 12:03 AM on May 24, 2012 [2 favorites]

My father told me, "Every place you see that uses a 'k' in place of a 'c'? They're Nazi sympathisers."

Skeptics are nazi sympathisers?
posted by Grangousier at 1:21 AM on May 24, 2012

Nay.
posted by Argyle at 8:10 AM on May 24, 2012

Every place you see that uses a 'k' in place of a 'c'? They're Nazi sympathizers

His Kraut score is very high.
posted by banshee at 10:46 AM on May 24, 2012 [2 favorites]

Signed up to opt out. My supplied freetext reason?

I see no real reason to for Klout to exist, except to entrance it's mindless users into indoctrinating all their friends into this cargo cult of useless tchotchkes in an endless loop of new food pellet rewards.
posted by Samizdata at 10:36 PM on May 24, 2012

Wasn't something like this Klout used as currency or maybe a stock market in one of Charlie Stross' stories?
posted by ArgentCorvid at 9:36 AM on May 25, 2012

You're thinking Corey Doctorow and 'whuffie', perhaps.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:07 PM on May 25, 2012

Or the Daemon/Freedom books by Daniel Suarez where everyone's "score" is visible above their heads if you wear the special glasses.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:02 AM on May 26, 2012

What I would like to do is create a persona, and have it do lots of tweeting, linking, facebooking, googplussing, etc., and make it available to the community, so you say "Of course I don't have a high flout score, I like my privacy. But, here, let me show you my alter ego."

The world is big, and using the score of a douchebaggy webjerkoff site is silly. In some ways, it's a flag that the company is douche-y, but sometime you just need a job. Sometimes I hate people.

Honestly, if I knew someone who had a high number of mefi posts, answers, favorites, contacts, etc., I'd probably want to have a beer with them, but I'm not sure about hiring somebody who spends their workday posting. Dear boss, it's not all day, and it's not every day. Sometimes working for you is so horrible that I need a refuge. You get more, way more, than enough of my life.
posted by theora55 at 12:47 PM on May 26, 2012

I can't decide if I think those Daemon/Freedom books are good or not.
posted by box at 12:51 PM on May 26, 2012

I have exactly the same problem.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:55 PM on May 26, 2012

Coworker and I have agreed that Klout is ridiculous and give influencer points to each other and friends for things like "Steak" and "Cookies".

The only worthwhile "perk" I've gotten from them (64 score, with a graph scale that gets manipulated to make sub-1.0 changes look *HUGE* day-to-day) was a free Samsung Focus Windows Phone, which I played with for a couple of days and then gave to my Mom for Christmas. She hates it and wants an iPhone now.

They were promoting their "developer conference" on Twitter a week or two ago, I responded with "What, 'You are not eligible for this Perk, but your friends are!' takes more than one guy and fifteen minutes?"
posted by mrbill at 12:13 AM on May 27, 2012 [1 favorite]