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Uploading photos isn't what supposedly sets okcupid apart, right? They aren't using physical attractiveness in their matching algorithms and that is the point I

by Chukwu 17y ago

Uploading photos isn't what supposedly sets okcupid apart, right? They aren't using physical attractiveness in their matching algorithms and that is the point I was trying to make. Your other point has been addressed above; people don't know what they want. Asking them what they want their "ideal match" to answer is as foolhardy as asking them to describe their "ideal mate" neuron by neuron.

philwelch 17y ago
Given a photo by itself, or a photo plus output from a matching algorithm, the photo plus output from a matching algorithm gives more information. My point is that judging physical attractiveness is (mostly!) a solved problem on dating sites, so your main competitive advantage is attacking the other problems. People do not, in fact, know what they want. But they can make educated guesses.
- Chukwu 17y ago
  Judging physical attractiveness on dating sites isn't even a partially solved problem - I invite you to name the sites that you have found that are close, as a counterexample. How does one go about making an EDUCATED guess with NO knowledge? To put it plainly - statistical information assimilated from meaningless data is also meaningless. I don't know what my perfect mate looks like - and no one does. If you accept that premise, you are then forced to accept that any data gathered from some person A about what their perfect mate P is like is MEANINGLESS. So statistical algorithms from any such information yield meaningless data as well; ergo okcupid cannot do what it hopes to do. QED
  - michaelkeenan 17y ago
    > I don't know what my perfect mate looks like - and no one does. While I agree that one's guess at a perfect partner might not be 100% accurate, are you sure you have no information on this at all? Here are some OkCupid questions. Would you be equally willing to date someone regardless of how they answered these questions? -Is homosexuality a sin? -How important is religion/God in your life? -Are you happy with your life? -Is interracial marriage a bad idea?
    - Chukwu 17y ago
      Interestingly, the universal answer set of these questions, from all of the women I've seriously dated, would be full! That is, every possible answer would be in the set. And I am certain I am not unique. Indeed, half of the enjoyment in getting to know someone is in the mutual effort expended in trying to understand how the other person was formed: thoughts, feelings, desires, etc - and this enjoyment is independent of the actual thoughts, feelings, etc themselves. As relationships grow, both parties discover the thoughts, feelings, desires, etc. that were perhaps, formed irrationally - and then adjust accordingly. This is called personal discovery - and is evidence enough that most people are too inconsistent and too nearsighted for an approach such as the one okcupid employs. That said - I wish them the best of luck.
      - philwelch 17y ago
        That's why OkCupid gives you aggregate percentages instead of ruling people out or anything. An aggregate percentage says you mostly agree with this person on the things you care about most. It doesn't mean you have perfect harmony, nothing means that, but it gives you an easier starting point.

by Chukwu 17y ago

philwelch 17y ago

Given a photo by itself, or a photo plus output from a matching algorithm, the photo plus output from a matching algorithm gives more information. My point is that judging physical attractiveness is (mostly!) a solved problem on dating sites, so your main competitive advantage is attacking the other problems. People do not, in fact, know what they want. But they can make educated guesses.

Chukwu 17y ago
Judging physical attractiveness on dating sites isn't even a partially solved problem - I invite you to name the sites that you have found that are close, as a counterexample. How does one go about making an EDUCATED guess with NO knowledge? To put it plainly - statistical information assimilated from meaningless data is also meaningless. I don't know what my perfect mate looks like - and no one does. If you accept that premise, you are then forced to accept that any data gathered from some person A about what their perfect mate P is like is MEANINGLESS. So statistical algorithms from any such information yield meaningless data as well; ergo okcupid cannot do what it hopes to do. QED
- michaelkeenan 17y ago
  > I don't know what my perfect mate looks like - and no one does. While I agree that one's guess at a perfect partner might not be 100% accurate, are you sure you have no information on this at all? Here are some OkCupid questions. Would you be equally willing to date someone regardless of how they answered these questions? -Is homosexuality a sin? -How important is religion/God in your life? -Are you happy with your life? -Is interracial marriage a bad idea?
  - Chukwu 17y ago
    Interestingly, the universal answer set of these questions, from all of the women I've seriously dated, would be full! That is, every possible answer would be in the set. And I am certain I am not unique. Indeed, half of the enjoyment in getting to know someone is in the mutual effort expended in trying to understand how the other person was formed: thoughts, feelings, desires, etc - and this enjoyment is independent of the actual thoughts, feelings, etc themselves. As relationships grow, both parties discover the thoughts, feelings, desires, etc. that were perhaps, formed irrationally - and then adjust accordingly. This is called personal discovery - and is evidence enough that most people are too inconsistent and too nearsighted for an approach such as the one okcupid employs. That said - I wish them the best of luck.
    - philwelch 17y ago
      That's why OkCupid gives you aggregate percentages instead of ruling people out or anything. An aggregate percentage says you mostly agree with this person on the things you care about most. It doesn't mean you have perfect harmony, nothing means that, but it gives you an easier starting point.