4 ms·

the site probably never took off because 'fit finder' is inherently misogynistic and a little bit creepy? I know Zuckerburg started facebook as a way to find g

the site probably never took off because 'fit finder' is inherently misogynistic and a little bit creepy? I know Zuckerburg started facebook as a way to find girls but at least the name is more generic

arethuza 16y ago
I'm glad to see it's not just me that had this reaction - sounds like a potential source of sexual harassment litigation which is probably why the university in question shut it down in case they were perceived to be complicit by allowing the service to keep running.
rms 16y ago
>I know Zuckerburg started facebook as a way to find girls No, that's the story from the movie. Zuckerburg started facebook because he wanted to make a startup.
- djhworld 16y ago
  I've not seen The Social Network but I swear I've read the 'he made it to find girls' thing elsewhere
  - nailer 16y ago
    He's had the same girlfriend from before Facemash to now. His stated reason for making Facebook was to make something. He made his WinAmp plugin for the same reason.
redthrowaway 16y ago
Don't believe much of anything from TSN. It's based off The Accidental Billionaires, which in turn was based almost exclusively off Eduardo Severin's recounting of events. Given the role Severin has in the film, of the kind but naive kid who gets screwed by the evil genius, it's not hard to see that the portrayal of other characters might be similarly lopsided. Zuckerberg started facebook for the same reason most other people launch [successful] tech startups -- because it was interesting. He's been dating the same girl since before he launched facebook. --- I just realized you might have meant that the initial idea of what facebook would represent to its users was a way to find chicks. That might be more likely, but I've never seen anything to suggest that's the case. I'd appreciate a source for that claim, if indeed there is a decent one.
narag 16y ago
'fit finder' is inherently misogynistic and a little bit creepy? Language barrier here. "Fit" doesn't sound so bad to me. Why is it that bad?
- JonnieCache 16y ago
  "Fit" almost exactly == "hot"
  - narag 16y ago
    I see. It understood it like you were looking for someone that fits you. It didn't occur to me it could mean you're looking for someone that is fit. But I thought "fit" could be applied to males also.
    - JonnieCache 16y ago
      It could. However the point is that the word is definitely sexual in meaning, there is only one activity that the person is being described as "fit" for. The issue here isn't one of gender, but that the public space is not an appropriate place for making sexual comments about strangers, just as most people don't think that wolf whistling at people in the street is appropriate. This amplifies that effect by putting it online, and therefore the "wolf whistle" is permanent and world-wide.
      - narag 16y ago
        Thank you for the explanation. OTOH, the comment by djhworld still confuses me. The bad outcome wouldn't be misogyny but stalking or something like that. "Misogynistic" implies it's directed against females.
        djhworld 16y ago
        I suppose my initial comment was a bit flippant, after all women would have to sign up to 'fitfinder' as well to receive attention from the men.

arethuza 16y ago

I'm glad to see it's not just me that had this reaction - sounds like a potential source of sexual harassment litigation which is probably why the university in question shut it down in case they were perceived to be complicit by allowing the service to keep running.

rms 16y ago

>I know Zuckerburg started facebook as a way to find girls No, that's the story from the movie. Zuckerburg started facebook because he wanted to make a startup.

djhworld 16y ago
I've not seen The Social Network but I swear I've read the 'he made it to find girls' thing elsewhere
- nailer 16y ago
  He's had the same girlfriend from before Facemash to now. His stated reason for making Facebook was to make something. He made his WinAmp plugin for the same reason.

redthrowaway 16y ago

Don't believe much of anything from TSN. It's based off The Accidental Billionaires, which in turn was based almost exclusively off Eduardo Severin's recounting of events. Given the role Severin has in the film, of the kind but naive kid who gets screwed by the evil genius, it's not hard to see that the portrayal of other characters might be similarly lopsided. Zuckerberg started facebook for the same reason most other people launch [successful] tech startups -- because it was interesting. He's been dating the same girl since before he launched facebook. --- I just realized you might have meant that the initial idea of what facebook would represent to its users was a way to find chicks. That might be more likely, but I've never seen anything to suggest that's the case. I'd appreciate a source for that claim, if indeed there is a decent one.

narag 16y ago

'fit finder' is inherently misogynistic and a little bit creepy? Language barrier here. "Fit" doesn't sound so bad to me. Why is it that bad?

JonnieCache 16y ago
"Fit" almost exactly == "hot"
- narag 16y ago
  I see. It understood it like you were looking for someone that fits you. It didn't occur to me it could mean you're looking for someone that is fit. But I thought "fit" could be applied to males also.
  - JonnieCache 16y ago
    It could. However the point is that the word is definitely sexual in meaning, there is only one activity that the person is being described as "fit" for. The issue here isn't one of gender, but that the public space is not an appropriate place for making sexual comments about strangers, just as most people don't think that wolf whistling at people in the street is appropriate. This amplifies that effect by putting it online, and therefore the "wolf whistle" is permanent and world-wide.
    - narag 16y ago
      Thank you for the explanation. OTOH, the comment by djhworld still confuses me. The bad outcome wouldn't be misogyny but stalking or something like that. "Misogynistic" implies it's directed against females.
      - djhworld 16y ago
        I suppose my initial comment was a bit flippant, after all women would have to sign up to 'fitfinder' as well to receive attention from the men.