MS Clarity slang mode

[Dani]

What in the WTF in the world?! is slang mode in MS Clarity session insights?!

How on earth did the devs convince the powers that be at Microsoft to let this be allowed?

[Reverend Jim]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

[Dani]

OK, so let me perhaps explain. Microsoft Clarity uses javascript to track user behavior to glean actionable insights to improve the user experience. So, one of its features are session insights, which uses AI to form these summaries, essentially.

Here's a very random example of one:

• The user arrived at the page titled "php - unlink() function not working | DaniWeb" from a Google search, indicating they were likely seeking information or solutions related to PHP's unlink() function.
• They accepted cookies or some form of consent within the first second of their visit, showing engagement with the website's interface 00:01.
• After spending about 27 seconds on the page, the user navigated away or minimized it, as indicated by the "Page hidden" event 00:27. This could suggest that they either found what they needed quickly or lost interest.

There's then a toggle button to toggle "Slang" on/off. When I turn it on, it now says:

• This user was vibing on a thread about the PHP unlink() function not working. They came straight from Google, so you know they were in full-on "help me now" mode 🫠.
• They clicked "Accept" at 00:01. Like, okay, slay for accepting cookies or whatever. But then they just ghosted the page at 00:27 and left it hidden for the rest of eternity (or 5 minutes and 31 seconds, same diff).
• Honestly, it's giving NPC energy—no scrolling, no clicks after that one cookie moment. Maybe they got what they needed or just dipped to touch grass 🌱. Who knows? 🤷‍♀️

So, I repeat: What the absolute F is going on there?! Why is Slang mode a thing on a Microsoft product targeting professional UI/UX designers.

[Dani]

For some more clarity, pun intended, here's a link to the Microsoft Clarity website which boasts, "Clarity is a free product that captures how people use your site." It's used by over 1 million sites and it integrates with Google Analytics. It targets business professionals and says, "Our mission at Clarity is make behavior analytics available to everyone—from bloggers to Fortune 500 companies."

There are much more powerful paid solutions such as Hotjar, but MS Clarity offers this tool for free so that they can data mine user behavior across all sorts of sites on the web to improve their own products and services. Given Hotjar (who used to be a big DaniWeb advertiser back in the day) and competitors are currently not affordable to us right now, MS Clarity it is!

[Dani]

I just noticed that they literally forgot the to in "Our mission at Clarity is make behavior ...". Who on earth are the clowns in the Clarity division at Microsoft? This is the most unprofessional thing I've ever seen in my life.

[Salem]

Likely it wasn't any dev, just some AI garbage.

as indicated by the "Page hidden" event 00:27.

In the midst of all that waffle, I figure t1-t0 = 00:27 is all that you really need to know, and that the most likely outcome was that the user left without completing some action.

[Dani]

Likely it wasn't any dev, just some AI garbage.

Huh??

[Salem]

Meaning it was almost entirely written by AI to begin with, with minimal supervision from some low-level grad student.

[Dani]

Perhaps you're misunderstanding me. It's an AI Insight feature that uses AI to summarize user behavior. It was 100% written by AI.

[Salem]

I mean the tool itself - clarity - was written by AI and shovelled out to the masses without review for "professionalism".

Or it's aimed at hipsters by hipsters.

[Dani]

Or it's aimed at hipsters by hipsters.

I think this one. Only the hipsters forgot to get approval from upper-management before publishing.