6 ms·

It is so disappointing to see a YC startup directed only to a particular religion. Where I come from (India) there are things like if you belong to religion X t

It is so disappointing to see a YC startup directed only to a particular religion. Where I come from (India) there are things like if you belong to religion X then you cannot go to temple of religion Y during prayers, etc. But we regard those policies as regressive and are trying to remove them. And regarding the idea that Muslims are looking for marriage and not for casual encounters, it is possible to achieve it without focusing on religion aspect. For example, in India websites like shaadi.com (shaadi literally means marriage) are used as dating websites where participants know that they plan to marry in near future. Also, I would expect VCs with supposedly liberal beliefs to stand for inter-religion marriages as they are much more dangerous (seriously, you can get killed for it) and not for an app "where single muslims meet".

mrkgnao 9y ago
Shaadi.com owns a number of related websites targeted at particular Indian communities. I live in Kolkata and ads for bengalimatrimony.com are everywhere (in a manner of speaking).
- virtuabhi 9y ago
  Completely agree. But imagine a YC funded startup where single people of Brahmin caste meet. I can understand local people developing apps like that but not a well-respected, liberal, California-based VC firm.
  - gcb0 9y ago
    why do you assume YC is liberal as in freedom of speech? I've only see clear indication that they are liberal as in less government control.
  - computerex 9y ago
    > But imagine a YC funded startup where single people of Brahmin caste meet. I can understand local people developing apps like that but not a well-respected, liberal, California-based VC firm. YC is about innovation. Hundreds of start ups make it to YC, I don't see why an app for Brahmin singles to mingle is inherently not worthy of YC. Instead of speaking in riddles why don't you just say plainly what you are thinking.
pj_mukh 9y ago
This maybe your Indian bias showing where communal issues are a little more fiery. Religion based dating/relationship sites are fairly common in America and a lucrative business [1][2]. Not sure why we should suddenly start getting worried just when Muslims build their own as well. Seems like a sound investment from YC's POV. [1] https://www.christianmingle.com/ https://www.christianmingle.com/ [2] https://www.jdate.com/en-us https://www.jdate.com/en-us P.S: I am also Indian.
- infruset 9y ago
  In France where I live, I suspect such community-based dating apps would be frowned upon and seen as close-minded. Most people I know see religion as something people slowly liberate themselves from and not as a silo inside which you get married while keeping people from other faiths outside of your life. But I also understand this is a cultural difference with America, and I'm curious to read views from other people around the world in this thread. EDIT: not sure why I'm being downvoted, I'm trying to give a perspective from a different part of the world which I think is relevant to how such an app might be perceived there. I'm not trying to insult anyone.
  - Phlogistique 9y ago
    I think you are wrong, as a quick Google search will reveal instantly: Muslim: https://www.islamunion.fr/ https://www.islamunion.fr/ http://www.meetarabic.com/ http://www.meetarabic.com/ https://www.mektoube.fr/ https://www.mektoube.fr/ Catholic: http://www.theotokos.fr/ http://www.theotokos.fr/ http://www.notre-dame-des-rencontres.com/ http://www.notre-dame-des-rencontres.com/ https://www.iktoos.com/ https://www.iktoos.com/ Jewish: https://www.jdream.fr/ https://www.jdream.fr/ http://www.e-mazal.com/ http://www.e-mazal.com/ http://j-link.fr/ http://j-link.fr/
    - infruset 9y ago
      Point taken. I still think many people here would frown upon such websites, but maybe it's also a matter of my living in an echo chamber of atheist and internationalist liberals :-) I'd be curious to know what percentage of French people are strictly looking for a partner inside their religious or ethnic community compared to other countries.
angersock 9y ago
Relax, it's just market segmentation and better-focused customer acquisition.
- romanovcode 9y ago
  Yeah, imagine a headline "YC-backed Splinder is dating app only for white people". I bet people would not be that relaxed. #justsayin'
  - senz0 9y ago
    Islam isn't a race. Anyone under the sun could become a Muslim and use this service. People can't however change their race (who would've thought?). I've never been so perplexed by a comment on this site in my life.
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    I suspect the most common comment on HN would be asking what Splinder plans to offer to differentiate itself from Where White People Meet, the startup in that space that got media attention last year.
  - whipoodle 9y ago
    That's already how many users of existing dating sites actually use them in reality. So, the existence of such a thing would not surprise me, nor would YC investing in it... (they're capitalists, not superheroes)
    - colmvp 9y ago
      Seriously. I live in a city that is comprised of 50% white people. The vast majority of women's profiles exclusively say they want a white guy (source: me using Match). And when I use other apps, I get recommended matches (source: me using CoffeeMeetsBagel), they only recommend me women of my own ethnicity despite me never had explicitly suggested I cared about ethnicity. FWIW, I'm not suggesting people shouldn't have preferences, but for a lot of apps and depending on your gender/ethnic composition, the inclusion of other ethnicities doesn't really mean you are exactly on a level playing field.
chimeracoder 9y ago
> Where I come from (India) there are things like if you belong to religion X then you cannot go to temple of religion Y during prayers, etc Those policies exist all across the US and Europe as well, as well as the rest of the world. It's not limited to India.
raverbashing 9y ago
> Where I come from (India) there are things like if you belong to religion X then you cannot go to temple of religion Y during prayers, etc I don't see what's the problem. It makes perfect sense to me Temples of any religion are usually not public grounds and can enforce visitation rules.
- kinkrtyavimoodh 9y ago
  And... we are back to what people can or cannot do arguments. If things are illegal they can typically get shut down directly. They don't need to be 'frowned' upon. Things being frowned upon shows a cultural preference or development.
- bogomipz 9y ago
  >"Temples of any religion are usually not public grounds and can enforce visitation rules." This is patently untrue. I'm not sure where you are getting that from. I'm neither Muslim, nor Hindu, nor Sikh, nor Buddhist nor Shinto and I have been welcomed into everyone of those great religion's temples in many different countries throughout the world. They are very much public places.
  - ptero 9y ago
    There are different interpretations of the word "public". The parent I think uses it as a legal term, i.e., deviations can be reported to and handled by law enforcement: e.g., in the US one can photograph anything and anyone on a public street, but usually cannot walk there naked. This is the definition I personally use, too. The meaning you seem to be using the term to mean welcoming everyone by choice of the owner (e.g., "everyone can come to my restaurant"). However, in this case the owner can also impose their own visitation rules (e.g., prohibiting a dress type that is offensive to one group but perfectly acceptable to another).
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
  - MikeTheGreat 9y ago
contingencies 9y ago
Agreed. Frankly I should think that many Muslims would find this entire notion offensive. Just because someone is Muslim doesn't mean they (a) necessarily want to find a muslim partner (b) have family with backward and regressive views (c) live in a society with backward and regressive views (d) want to support the continuation of backward and regressive views IMHO in many traditional societies young people want to shake off the controlling habits of former generations and such an app would actually be a concrete step backwards. (Full disclosure: My wife is Chinese muslim, and we have muslim friends in Australia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Tunisia, UK, etc. I am personally irreligious.)
- yomly 9y ago
  And on the other hand I know plenty of people who would love something like this. Different strokes for different folks.
- computerex 9y ago
  > (b) have family with backward and regressive views (c) live in a society with backward and regressive views (d) want to support the continuation of backward and regressive views Wait, what are you implying here? A dating site exclusive to Muslims isn't suggestive of B, C or D. There are dating sites exclusive to African Americans for example, are they backwards and regressive too?
  - contingencies 9y ago
    A dating site exclusive to Muslims isn't suggestive of B, C or D Sure, but the features listed elsewhere in this thread that they've chosen to implement are.
    - computerex 9y ago
      What features are you referring to specifically?
  - intoverflow2 9y ago
    Not defending the words of the poster you are quoting but African American is a race not a religion/belief system. Dating app for Mormons or Atheists would be a more appropriate analogy.
computerex 9y ago
It is just yet another service catered towards certain individuals. The exclusivity might make it more interesting.
wyager 9y ago
Islam forbids Muslim women from courting non-Muslim men. That is presumably one of the motivations behind this service. https://islamqa.info/en/21380 https://islamqa.info/en/21380
- cr0sh 9y ago
  Perhaps true (likely - but I am not completely familiar with that religion); but doesn't this make the assumption that if you are Muslim, you are automatically Islamic? Yeah, I know that's how it's kinda played out (much like how the BKDs here in America insist we are a "Christian Nation" - despite things like the Treaty of Tripoli and other documents to the contrary) - but that doesn't make it objectively true. Of course, in some cases (even here in the west), if you dare mention such a thing within 'the faith' - you could find yourself on the other side of an honor killing by your own family (especially if you are a woman; such enlightenment). To think, this is the exact same place many evangelical Christians want to take our nation too as well. Lovely.
jgh 9y ago
Eh, there's J-Date and Christian Mingle (also e-Harmony tends to be pretty christian).
austenallred 9y ago
It's a (large) niche market with specific needs that aren't met by traditional dating sites. Why is building a product to cater to those needs bad or wrong? If I'm a Muslim and I want to date/marry a Muslim and there are a lot of things I have to solve for as a result of that, it makes a whole lot of sense that technology help me solve for those things.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

mrkgnao 9y ago

Shaadi.com owns a number of related websites targeted at particular Indian communities. I live in Kolkata and ads for bengalimatrimony.com are everywhere (in a manner of speaking).

virtuabhi 9y ago
Completely agree. But imagine a YC funded startup where single people of Brahmin caste meet. I can understand local people developing apps like that but not a well-respected, liberal, California-based VC firm.
- gcb0 9y ago
  why do you assume YC is liberal as in freedom of speech? I've only see clear indication that they are liberal as in less government control.
- computerex 9y ago
  > But imagine a YC funded startup where single people of Brahmin caste meet. I can understand local people developing apps like that but not a well-respected, liberal, California-based VC firm. YC is about innovation. Hundreds of start ups make it to YC, I don't see why an app for Brahmin singles to mingle is inherently not worthy of YC. Instead of speaking in riddles why don't you just say plainly what you are thinking.

pj_mukh 9y ago

This maybe your Indian bias showing where communal issues are a little more fiery. Religion based dating/relationship sites are fairly common in America and a lucrative business [1][2]. Not sure why we should suddenly start getting worried just when Muslims build their own as well. Seems like a sound investment from YC's POV. [1] https://www.christianmingle.com/ https://www.christianmingle.com/ [2] https://www.jdate.com/en-us https://www.jdate.com/en-us P.S: I am also Indian.

infruset 9y ago
In France where I live, I suspect such community-based dating apps would be frowned upon and seen as close-minded. Most people I know see religion as something people slowly liberate themselves from and not as a silo inside which you get married while keeping people from other faiths outside of your life. But I also understand this is a cultural difference with America, and I'm curious to read views from other people around the world in this thread. EDIT: not sure why I'm being downvoted, I'm trying to give a perspective from a different part of the world which I think is relevant to how such an app might be perceived there. I'm not trying to insult anyone.
- Phlogistique 9y ago
  I think you are wrong, as a quick Google search will reveal instantly: Muslim: https://www.islamunion.fr/ https://www.islamunion.fr/ http://www.meetarabic.com/ http://www.meetarabic.com/ https://www.mektoube.fr/ https://www.mektoube.fr/ Catholic: http://www.theotokos.fr/ http://www.theotokos.fr/ http://www.notre-dame-des-rencontres.com/ http://www.notre-dame-des-rencontres.com/ https://www.iktoos.com/ https://www.iktoos.com/ Jewish: https://www.jdream.fr/ https://www.jdream.fr/ http://www.e-mazal.com/ http://www.e-mazal.com/ http://j-link.fr/ http://j-link.fr/
  - infruset 9y ago
    Point taken. I still think many people here would frown upon such websites, but maybe it's also a matter of my living in an echo chamber of atheist and internationalist liberals :-) I'd be curious to know what percentage of French people are strictly looking for a partner inside their religious or ethnic community compared to other countries.

angersock 9y ago

Relax, it's just market segmentation and better-focused customer acquisition.

romanovcode 9y ago
Yeah, imagine a headline "YC-backed Splinder is dating app only for white people". I bet people would not be that relaxed. #justsayin'
- senz0 9y ago
  Islam isn't a race. Anyone under the sun could become a Muslim and use this service. People can't however change their race (who would've thought?). I've never been so perplexed by a comment on this site in my life.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  I suspect the most common comment on HN would be asking what Splinder plans to offer to differentiate itself from Where White People Meet, the startup in that space that got media attention last year.
- whipoodle 9y ago
  That's already how many users of existing dating sites actually use them in reality. So, the existence of such a thing would not surprise me, nor would YC investing in it... (they're capitalists, not superheroes)
  - colmvp 9y ago
    Seriously. I live in a city that is comprised of 50% white people. The vast majority of women's profiles exclusively say they want a white guy (source: me using Match). And when I use other apps, I get recommended matches (source: me using CoffeeMeetsBagel), they only recommend me women of my own ethnicity despite me never had explicitly suggested I cared about ethnicity. FWIW, I'm not suggesting people shouldn't have preferences, but for a lot of apps and depending on your gender/ethnic composition, the inclusion of other ethnicities doesn't really mean you are exactly on a level playing field.

chimeracoder 9y ago

> Where I come from (India) there are things like if you belong to religion X then you cannot go to temple of religion Y during prayers, etc Those policies exist all across the US and Europe as well, as well as the rest of the world. It's not limited to India.

raverbashing 9y ago

> Where I come from (India) there are things like if you belong to religion X then you cannot go to temple of religion Y during prayers, etc I don't see what's the problem. It makes perfect sense to me Temples of any religion are usually not public grounds and can enforce visitation rules.

kinkrtyavimoodh 9y ago
And... we are back to what people can or cannot do arguments. If things are illegal they can typically get shut down directly. They don't need to be 'frowned' upon. Things being frowned upon shows a cultural preference or development.
bogomipz 9y ago
>"Temples of any religion are usually not public grounds and can enforce visitation rules." This is patently untrue. I'm not sure where you are getting that from. I'm neither Muslim, nor Hindu, nor Sikh, nor Buddhist nor Shinto and I have been welcomed into everyone of those great religion's temples in many different countries throughout the world. They are very much public places.
- ptero 9y ago
  There are different interpretations of the word "public". The parent I think uses it as a legal term, i.e., deviations can be reported to and handled by law enforcement: e.g., in the US one can photograph anything and anyone on a public street, but usually cannot walk there naked. This is the definition I personally use, too. The meaning you seem to be using the term to mean welcoming everyone by choice of the owner (e.g., "everyone can come to my restaurant"). However, in this case the owner can also impose their own visitation rules (e.g., prohibiting a dress type that is offensive to one group but perfectly acceptable to another).
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
- MikeTheGreat 9y ago

contingencies 9y ago

Agreed. Frankly I should think that many Muslims would find this entire notion offensive. Just because someone is Muslim doesn't mean they (a) necessarily want to find a muslim partner (b) have family with backward and regressive views (c) live in a society with backward and regressive views (d) want to support the continuation of backward and regressive views IMHO in many traditional societies young people want to shake off the controlling habits of former generations and such an app would actually be a concrete step backwards. (Full disclosure: My wife is Chinese muslim, and we have muslim friends in Australia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Tunisia, UK, etc. I am personally irreligious.)

yomly 9y ago
And on the other hand I know plenty of people who would love something like this. Different strokes for different folks.
computerex 9y ago
> (b) have family with backward and regressive views (c) live in a society with backward and regressive views (d) want to support the continuation of backward and regressive views Wait, what are you implying here? A dating site exclusive to Muslims isn't suggestive of B, C or D. There are dating sites exclusive to African Americans for example, are they backwards and regressive too?
- contingencies 9y ago
  A dating site exclusive to Muslims isn't suggestive of B, C or D Sure, but the features listed elsewhere in this thread that they've chosen to implement are.
  - computerex 9y ago
    What features are you referring to specifically?
- intoverflow2 9y ago
  Not defending the words of the poster you are quoting but African American is a race not a religion/belief system. Dating app for Mormons or Atheists would be a more appropriate analogy.

computerex 9y ago

It is just yet another service catered towards certain individuals. The exclusivity might make it more interesting.

wyager 9y ago

Islam forbids Muslim women from courting non-Muslim men. That is presumably one of the motivations behind this service. https://islamqa.info/en/21380 https://islamqa.info/en/21380

cr0sh 9y ago
Perhaps true (likely - but I am not completely familiar with that religion); but doesn't this make the assumption that if you are Muslim, you are automatically Islamic? Yeah, I know that's how it's kinda played out (much like how the BKDs here in America insist we are a "Christian Nation" - despite things like the Treaty of Tripoli and other documents to the contrary) - but that doesn't make it objectively true. Of course, in some cases (even here in the west), if you dare mention such a thing within 'the faith' - you could find yourself on the other side of an honor killing by your own family (especially if you are a woman; such enlightenment). To think, this is the exact same place many evangelical Christians want to take our nation too as well. Lovely.

jgh 9y ago

Eh, there's J-Date and Christian Mingle (also e-Harmony tends to be pretty christian).

austenallred 9y ago

It's a (large) niche market with specific needs that aren't met by traditional dating sites. Why is building a product to cater to those needs bad or wrong? If I'm a Muslim and I want to date/marry a Muslim and there are a lot of things I have to solve for as a result of that, it makes a whole lot of sense that technology help me solve for those things.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]