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I’m not sure if you’re being glib but there really is a fundamental distinction here. Meeting someone because of the workings of an algorithm on a platform both

I’m not sure if you’re being glib but there really is a fundamental distinction here. Meeting someone because of the workings of an algorithm on a platform both of you have signed up for is substantially different than meeting someone through mutual friends or even through happenstance. And your line of work may not be differentiated by whether or not it’s online, but that is not true of a whole host of more traditional jobs. I’m thinking not just of anything involving manual labor but also of the majority of service work, from hairdressing to restaurant service. All of those jobs remain in the offline realm and it would be a big deal if they were moved online, just as it’s rightly seen as a big deal that courtship has moved online.

elicash 7y ago
You'd be surprised by how many service jobs use the internet all day as part of their jobs. I can't speak as much to manual labor, but imagine it's similar to service work in which while not in front of a desktop computer they're using online technology. We can't just say that people with a physical keyboard are the only ones working online. You specifically mention restaurant work, but it's pretty common to see iPads and online computer systems used for payments. And hairdressing? The first thing I do when I get a haircut is go to the front desk where the person checks me in via a computer -- and others make appointments... online. We are not part of some elite class of people who use the internet. One of the things you'll notice about this study is that it doesn't consider all SORTS of "online" ways of meeting people online to be "online dating." That's a clue that the term has lost all meaning.
- krustyburger 7y ago
  In the pre-internet days, there were matchmaking services that utilized video tapes and classified ads. Current online dating firms are the spiritual descendants of those services. It’s reasonable to differentiate between those methods and meeting someone in a more organic way, say on a message board dedicated to a mutual interest.
  - elicash 7y ago
    Then differentiate! My point is "online dating" is a non-sensical way to differentiate Tinder from www.MutualInterestForums.com. Maybe use "algorithmic dating" as a term? And even then, the algorithm is also often informed by your list of friends. Also, "organic" doesn't exactly describe much of what used to be traditional dating, either. Your parents setting you up isn't organic.
    - romwell 7y ago
      > Maybe use "algorithmic dating" Digital matchmaker services / ML-powered matchmaking.
baddox 7y ago
There's an algorithm either way. It's certainly reasonable to be concerned with how dating services' algorithms work, but I don't think it's too challenging to beat the algorithm of "here are people who live or work in very close physical proximity to you."
Sohcahtoa82 7y ago
> Meeting someone because of the workings of an algorithm on a platform both of you have signed up for is substantially different than meeting someone through mutual friends or even through happenstance. I trust an algorithm that gives me results based on personality questions far more than happenstance. I met my wife on OKCupid on OKCupid in 2010. We are both home-bodies, so it's unlikely either of us would have met such a good match without online dating. I also like online dating because you can hammer out deal breakers before you even meet, often before you even send your first message. For example, I never want children (Got a vasectomy years ago to make sure it never happens), so I don't want to waste years with someone who does.

elicash 7y ago

You'd be surprised by how many service jobs use the internet all day as part of their jobs. I can't speak as much to manual labor, but imagine it's similar to service work in which while not in front of a desktop computer they're using online technology. We can't just say that people with a physical keyboard are the only ones working online. You specifically mention restaurant work, but it's pretty common to see iPads and online computer systems used for payments. And hairdressing? The first thing I do when I get a haircut is go to the front desk where the person checks me in via a computer -- and others make appointments... online. We are not part of some elite class of people who use the internet. One of the things you'll notice about this study is that it doesn't consider all SORTS of "online" ways of meeting people online to be "online dating." That's a clue that the term has lost all meaning.

krustyburger 7y ago
In the pre-internet days, there were matchmaking services that utilized video tapes and classified ads. Current online dating firms are the spiritual descendants of those services. It’s reasonable to differentiate between those methods and meeting someone in a more organic way, say on a message board dedicated to a mutual interest.
- elicash 7y ago
  Then differentiate! My point is "online dating" is a non-sensical way to differentiate Tinder from www.MutualInterestForums.com. Maybe use "algorithmic dating" as a term? And even then, the algorithm is also often informed by your list of friends. Also, "organic" doesn't exactly describe much of what used to be traditional dating, either. Your parents setting you up isn't organic.
  - romwell 7y ago
    > Maybe use "algorithmic dating" Digital matchmaker services / ML-powered matchmaking.

baddox 7y ago

There's an algorithm either way. It's certainly reasonable to be concerned with how dating services' algorithms work, but I don't think it's too challenging to beat the algorithm of "here are people who live or work in very close physical proximity to you."

Sohcahtoa82 7y ago

> Meeting someone because of the workings of an algorithm on a platform both of you have signed up for is substantially different than meeting someone through mutual friends or even through happenstance. I trust an algorithm that gives me results based on personality questions far more than happenstance. I met my wife on OKCupid on OKCupid in 2010. We are both home-bodies, so it's unlikely either of us would have met such a good match without online dating. I also like online dating because you can hammer out deal breakers before you even meet, often before you even send your first message. For example, I never want children (Got a vasectomy years ago to make sure it never happens), so I don't want to waste years with someone who does.