What is Microsoft Doing with Hot-or-Not?
June 27, 2009 by Milo Riano
Filed under Computers
Microsoft previously filed for a patent on hot or not which allow users to rate a picture on it’s hotness level. The patent application states that the contributor would upload self images for viewing and would then be rated by viewers that provides an opinion on various fashion or cosmetic looks.
In an excerpt of the application description for the patent:
“The contributor uploads self images for viewing and rating (or voting) by viewers who choose provide an opinion on different fashion and/or cosmetic looks of the contributor. The contributor takes images show the contributor presented with a number (e.g., two) of different fashion choices. The snapshots can then be processed for upload to a website or other accessible location by one or more viewers. The viewers can cast a vote for one of the images by selecting the desired image, in response to which the viewer and/or contributor will be presented with overall statistics for that set of images as to how other viewers voted, as well as a next set of photos depicting the user in a different fashion and/or cosmetic choice. This process can continue until terminated.”
Where is Microsoft going to use this patent? Maybe in their BING search engine that has all the eye candy they can put there.
Have you spotted places where they have used this already?
Image from the web.
Who knows? I think this type of scale is pretty weak though. It could be much more harder to make a choice for many, so it’s not as simple. I think a thumbs up/down rating or a 5 star rating (with halves included) would make a better rating system than a scale of 1-10 for superficial things like beauty.