$0.75 – about how much Cambridge Analytica paid per voter in bid to micro-target their minds, internal docs reveal

Re: It wasn't me either, I'm just his mate

I thought its more the case "I wanted to do it but I didn't get the contract so now I'm going to throw the toys out of my pram"

Re: "...psychological profiles...from roughly 75 cents to $5 apiece..."

You are absolutely right there JeffyPoooh; Mensa has nothing at all on El Reg.

I don't know what Mensa is like nowadays but after doing a couple of tests in my late teens I was invited to join, at a time when Mensa were insisting that they should really be in charge of government and the world because they were super intelligent.

I met one or two members and the old saw about 'anyone who wants to be a politician is automatically unfit for the job' applies well to them. On the other hand there are one or two commentards who,at least in their comments, sound fit to govern.

I might add I disqualify myself because the firing squads I would employ, may not be seen as very democratic.

Re: "...psychological profiles...from roughly 75 cents to $5 apiece..."

My one vote is indistinguishable from any other, so my psychological profile probably is not worth more than any other. Indeed, because I have moderately well thought out and consistent opinions about public policy and the proper functions and operation of government that probably are quite hard to change, my profile could well be worth less than many others. And as stated that could be as true of the mean Register commentard or Mensa member.

Re: Interesting ...

Not illegal, but against policy of the college. However, the college itself can set up any company it wants to further the aims of the college and which benefits the college. The policy against others is that they are in it for themselves, not the college.

Re: big five personality scores

"I don't see aversion to Marmite in those tests. How accurate could it really be?"

So, aversion to Marmite is a good thing or a bad thing?

Or does it say something else?

In the interests of full disclosure; Marmite is always a requirement under the cheese on cheese on toast for me, preferably with extra mature cold sweat inducing cheddar.

Re: Um, shouldn't that be filed under 'collusion' as well ?

Read up on Robert Mercer and decide if you and he are allies.

Re: Um, shouldn't that be filed under 'collusion' as well ?

Theoretically it should. Practically it will not.

USA sanctions are purely a policy tool and have nothing to do with retaliation for real or perceived harm to USA.

There are foreign states which openly interfere in USA elections. That's however is OK. They are not Russian (or so the USA thinks - I always use Russian there).

Re: Peanuts, pocket change

There appears to be a typo in your handle, are you sure that last z shouldn't be an i ?

Re: Peanuts, pocket change

"...many many £millions per swayed voter."

Say £10 billion (for example) = just about 500 swayed voter (say £20M per). Not really enough swayed voters to make any difference.

Do you understand what the words "many £millions" (per swayed voter) means? From a basic numeracy point of view, it's not making much sense.

Did you spell "many £thousands" incorrectly?

Re: Peanuts, pocket change

Although Mrs. Clinton got over 3 million more votes than Donald Trump in the US Presidential election the votes that swung the election amounted to about 74,500 in three states. There's more to winning elections than just getting a majority, its knowing where and who to target that gets the results. If we assume a top price of $5 a voter then the election was a bargain. (The election of Donald Trump wasn't really the goal, BTW -- the long game was control of the Federal judiciary and the demolition of Federal agencies. Trump is just the distraction, the noise maker that hides a much more sinister purpose.)

This being a British site then I'd assume that you're more interested in the Brexit vote. I tend to think of that vote as being merely a dummy run, a test of the tools and techniques needed for the vastly more important Presidential election. You'll recall that the 'Exit' campaigners didn't really expect to win and had actually conceded early in the evening before the returns from the UK's version of the Heartland started coming in. Having an ill-prepared Exit campaign would explain the shambolic nature of subsequent negotiations with the EU -- its taken a couple of years to get off the ground and the UK's still not entirely clear what it wants (of course the True Believers think that somehow the US is going to come to its rescue with free trade agreements all round).