NameCount

NameCount is a small web app that estimates how many people someone knows based on recognized names. It mixes real notable names with fake test names, then computes an estimate and a truthfulness score.

A demo is available at https://namecount.meowc.at!

Features

• Random quiz generation from mixed real + fake names
• Server-side scoring and validation using per-quiz sessions
• Server-side submission storage in JSON
• Name lists loaded from processed files in names/data/processed

Data Sources

At startup, the server loads:

• names/data/processed/disambiguated_names.txt (real/disambiguated names)
• names/data/processed/fake_names.txt (fake names)

If loading fails, the app falls back to built-in placeholders.

Requirements

• Node.js 18+ (tested with Node 22)

Run

npm start

Then open:

• http://localhost:3000

API

• GET /api/lists
  • Returns a randomized mixed list of names plus a sessionId.
• POST /api/estimate
  • Body: { "sessionId": string, "selectedPeople": string[] }
  • Returns estimate and scoring details.
• GET /api/submissions
  • Returns stored submissions.

Storage

• Submissions are stored at userdata/submissions.json.

Project Structure

• server.js - HTTP server, quiz generation, scoring, persistence
• public/ - static frontend (index.html, app.js, styles.css)
• names/ - names data subproject and processing scripts
• userdata/ - runtime submission storage

Notes

• Quiz sessions are kept in memory with expiration.
• The random subset sizes are configured in server.js (QUIZ_NOTABLE_COUNT, QUIZ_FAKE_COUNT).