Coinciding with Movember, Microsoft has launched a mustache ranking website following the success of its age guessing website that it launched earlier this year.
Good fun from Microsoft for a good cause
At the time of this writing, over 18,000 mustaches have been analyzed on MyMoustache.net, a number that is getting larger with each keystroke. It’s anyone’s guess how many clean-shaven folk have visited but not participated.
The Movember Foundation began Movember and related events to raise awareness for men’s health issues like prostate cancer and depression in 2004 with a specific focus on Australia and New Zealand. Three years later, the charitable foundation launched additional events in the United Kingdom, Israel, South Africa, Taiwan, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Spain, and the United States.
Canadians, somewhat unsurprisingly, have led as the largest contributors to Movember charities since 2011, the year after the Movember Foundation merged with the testicular cancer event Touchback.
Microsoft explains its thinking behind the site, machine learning
In a recent posting on the site Microsoft shared what was going on with the website and its rationale behind it:
We started with a simple question, “What if we could use machine learning technology to detect the length of facial hair?” Many hallway jokes, brainstorming sessions, and mockups later, our early ideas have been realized far beyond our initial expectations.
MyMoustache.net is a Microsoft Garage Project built using Microsoft Project Oxford Face APIs and a crew of dedicated, passionate Microsoft developers. Our aim? Show what a healthy imagination and a Project Oxford API can build. Our hope? Work with the Movember organization to raise money and awareness for men’s health while showcasing the possibilities of machine learning technology.
Microsoft is clearly quite pleased with its Project Oxford Technology which is hardly challenged by mustache judging.
Just head to Microsoft’s site
Even if you don’t have a mustache feel free to visit the site and allow it to draw you one. That means you too ladies. I’m not saying you have mustaches but most people who watch NFL players and officials adopting hot pink don’t have breast cancer either. The fact is these issues, be it breast or prostate cancer affect loved ones and families.
