So about this whole VI thing

[munenori2]

I was curious to know what exactly is involved in VI typing. I have to admit I'm a little sceptical, but I guess I also don't know how you go about it either. Is it looking at physical characteristics (size/shape of eyes, nose, that kind of thing) or is it more kind of behavioral (like he looks aggressive, she seems deep in thought like she's not really there, etc)? It's just that I notice a lot of VI posts and I wondered how seriously everyone took them (is it something more like a hobby or are there convinced believers?).

[Ms. Kensington]

to me it's quick and i realize that it is not 100% accurate because of my ability, but yes I think there is merit to it. I use "vibe", mannerisms and their facial expressions, especially in the eyes. Because of my own type, I explain what I see in VI in what I see to be Si details, a lot of people take this the wrong way (that I am correlating type to specific facial features) but it is how I am able to describe "vibe" and "engery". I don't apologize for that but I will refrain from doing it here.

[munenori2]

interesting stuff. Thanks for the replies.

[Kristiina]

I think V.I. has got more credibility in the forum. A couple of years ago it was only entertainment for hobbyists and none of the serious people here believed it. That was because people used very clear physical traits, like big jaw, bushy eyebrows, etc. Now it has turned into a competition of trying to spot traits that very clearly remind us of someone who is already typed. Usually it has to be confirmed with other information.

Photos are the most objective way of describing a friend that the forum members will never meet. Beginner socionicists usually write descriptions about things that are not related so socioncs and veteran socionicists usually can't separate the traits from functions and it affects the description. And everyone writes descriptions through the view of their own functions. So pictures are the best thing for typing people over the internet.