Testing, Testing ...The Site With All The Answers

Tests, tests, and more tests. If you were an animal, what kind would you be? What's the ideal cocktail for your personality? So many tests but mostly lots of fun.

If you have ever wondered whether you have the personality to start a business and become millionaire material, or what type of flirt you are, or even who your perfect partner is, there is now an Internet site that provides an easy way to find the answers. At the “Emode” site, visitors are invited to test their wits and analyse their traits in a range of far-reaching, soul-searching personality tests.

Covering everything from career and relationships to health and fitness the tests raise just about every sort of question you could have about yourself! So, if you are you ready for the truth, visit http://www.emode.com.

Emode is the number one destination for self-discovery and the undisputed leader in online self-assessment testing. Emode offers an insightful yet entertaining experience for consumers and a sophisticated marketing platform to large consumer brands.

Emode received the Webby Award’s Rising Star Award in 2002 as the world's fastest growing website. The Rising Star Award is based on percent growth of visitors in 2002, as measured by Nielsen/NetRatings

What exactly, is Emode?

Emode is the leader in online assessment tests. They have served up more tests than any other site. They have also implemented a technology setup that makes it easy for people to share and compare their results. The web design, its graphics and content are also excellent quality. You can store your results in a private, secure account, where you can modify or delete your information anytime.

Perhaps the major contributor to the sites success however is the fact the tests are not only accurate and meaningful but also fun to do.

Emode’s newsletters claim to offer the only personality-targeted media in the world at the moment. More than 4 million people receive their newsletter every two weeks. Unusually the newsletter is not about Emode; rather, it's about "you," the user, your tendencies, your preferences, your interpersonal behaviour, and the things that make your life what you want it to be.

How does the system work?

Once you log on you're presented with a list of topics, they range from the serious to the downright amusing. As an example, topics include varieties such as: are you a risk taker? Are you a first date disaster? How much do you blush?

After you select a topic you are presented with a questionnaire. The questions will reflect the seriousness or significance of the topic. For example when taking the loony test, the first question is: Have you ever worn a costume to the movies so you would look like one of the characters? On reflection, anyone answering “yes” to this question probably doesn't need to continue with the test because the verdict is also probably self evident.

Whose idea is this anyway?

The site has its scientific roots at Harvard University and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Emode is a group of designers, writers, artists, Ph.D.s, and engineers with a common vision: to substantially improve the way people discover and connect with the important ingredients of their lives, entertainment, information, experiences, and each other.

Emode was founded in July 1999 and has been building its proprietary science and technology since January of that year.

What do you get if you do sign up with Emode?

Your Emode, your own customized newsletter based on your personality.The ability to store, access, share, delete, or retake tests you've already taken in a password-protected area of the site called My Tests. And if you've invited friends or family (or anyone!) to take an Emode test, you'll also be able to see their results and how they compare to your own.

A custom Address Book that files and saves the names and email addresses of people you have invited to take an Emode test. You can use your Address Book to easily invite listed friends to take another Emode test. And of course, you can add or remove entries in your Address Book at any time.

Oh, and of course, there’s also the horoscope, just in case you need a little more intuition or you don’t like the results of the IQ test, plus dead-on insights into everything and everyone that matters to you.

How do I join Emode?

Take the Emode Ultimate Personality Test and become an Emode member! At the end of the test, you receive a pocket guide to your personality and an invitation for all your friends and family to take the Ultimate Personality Test as well. There is no cost to join but you may wish to purchase special reports if you so desire.

Are my test results private?

Emode state that all membership information and test results are completely private and accessible only to you. To log on you must sign in with your password to access the My Account area of Emode.

You can also delete any test result, go to My Account and click on the My Tests icon. Here, you'll see a list of all the tests you have previously taken. Click on the word 'Remove' next to the name of the test you want to delete. The test you selected will be immediately removed from your account.

Emode tests do however allow you to compare your results with friends, and your friends can compare their results with yours if they so desire.

Here, you can see the results of all your friends (and their friends, too). You can see how you match up with your nearest and dearest, and then invite more people to play!

This sounds like great fun but is there a serious side to Emode?

Believe it or not, some workplaces are now subjecting potential employees to on-line personality tests. Before your soon-to-be-boss discovers the real you, take the time to find out yourself, if you're in the right field.

At Emode you can choose from a list of personality and career-related tests to determine if you're spending your workdays in the most compatible job. Weed through the "What breed of dog are you?" and "Who's your TV family?" quizzes and you'll find the career tests that matter. Well worth the 10 minutes away from your possibly poorly matched job, the Career Makeover asks 65 multiple-choice questions.

Ok, so what about the opposite sex, there has to be a link here somewhere?

EmodeMatch is the first psychology-based, online matchmaking service, and it is experiencing incredible growth. The EmodeMatch service already registers members at a rate nearly equal to that of the market leaders, Match.com and Yahoo Personals, and, it is yet to do any marketing.

The 30-person Emode team is said to be challenging the larger sites with a more advanced service that offers each member a scientifically valid compatibility rating with every other member. EmodeMatch say their members are also uniquely able to match by accurate measures of IQ score, personality type, sexual styles, communication styles, and values.

Arthur Hissey
Computer Research & Technology
www.crt.net.au