On a scale of 1 to 10 of creepiness, this might rank as a 15. Matthew Gault: Through late July of last year, small teams of “young individuals” combed through neighborhoods in Austin knocking on doors, according to the alert. When someone answered, the canvassers explained they worked for a fundraising group that helps students master public speaking. As part of their training—the teams explained—they needed to learn about the professions of the people they spoke with. The canvassers were then awarded points based on the job of the person they talked to.