In the same vein as the hotornot website from the 90s, Photofeeler.com is a site where users submit their photos and have them rated by others. However, unlike that site, Photofeeler has an actual algorithm that accounts for outliers and people’s individual rating methods.
Photofeeler is worth it. The algorithm is good and will give you a consistent score even after uploading the same photo multiple times. It’s good for comparing your existing photos with each other, but it should not be used as an overall gauge of attractiveness.
I feel that the main utility of photofeeler comes with comparing your photos and testing them against each other.
The Algorithm
Since rating preferences vary so much, the Photofeeler algorithm attempts to account for people’s rating preferences. One person might be very picky and only give a top score to only the top 1%. Photofeeler will adjust that person’s score higher to bring it more in line with the average. Another person might be lenient and give a top score to the top 10 or 20%. Photofeeler will adjust that person’s score to be lower to bring it more in line with average.
Photofeeler also gets rid of anomalies and outliers. If a user was giving good ratings to everyone but gave you a terrible one for no apparent reason his vote is getting thrown out. Likewise, photofeeler bases your score on the average ratings you receive, not random outliers that are too far away from what everyone else gave you.
While not everything about the algorithm has been disclosed, all I know is that it goes a good job. You can upload the same photo, several days apart, and they’ll receive a similar score. And the more data (votes) that photofeeler receives, the more confident you can be in your score.
Comparing Photos
If you use online dating apps or have Instagram, that’s the area where photofeeler flexes on everyone else. It allows you to compare different shots and pick the best one. Have a bunch of photos you like and can’t decide which to use for your Tinder? Run them through the feeler.
Same with Instagram. Say you had a photo shoot and have several shots you want to upload but don’t know which to pick. Photofeeler is going to make sure your photo is liked by the most people.
The more you use photofeeler the more you realize that people are not as much rating you, they’re more rating the photo. This is why you have to take results with a grain of salt. I’ve seen relatively unattractive people get a 9/10 and models get a 4/10. It’s all about the photo.
Running Tests
This is perhaps a super underutilized benefit of photofeeler. You can literally do an experiment where you have a photo as your control, use the same photo but modify one variable, and see which photo does better. Some examples include:
- Testing Instagram filters
- Photoshopping plastic surgery
- Seeing how you look with/without a beard
- Seeing how you look with different facial expressions
The list is endless. If there’s anything you’re wondering makes you more attractive, test it out. Photofeeler allows you to run your own experiment where they handle the statistical modeling for you.
