The state of the dating game, particularly for men, is terrible.
This will be a regularly-updated post I’m pinning to the top, capturing ideas for building The Better Dating App(TM).
Problem: Catfishing/Misrepresentation
Solution: Requiring a current photo, capturing the EXIF data from the photo requiring it to be within a day/week/month of signing up.
There’s a counter on it, & requires updating every X amount of time, or the profile gets pulled from rotation until updated.
Problem: Ghosting
Solution: Require communication every X amount of days/click the button of ‘No Longer Interested,’, or profile is disabled.
Let a person know.
Problem: Introduction
Solution: A video introduction, linked to a relevant video site of some sort.
Problem: Reviews
Solution: A ratings system for your experience with them. This will need to be thought-out more, but if people are going to be commodities, if everyone is a brand nowadays, one should be able to rate their experiences with said ‘brand’ so others know what they’re getting into. Require the person being rated to respond to a negative review, but no further. No tit-for-tat
Example being Uber, the App Store, EBay, Google Reviews, Facebook Markerplace, etc.
Problem: Hiding their body/flaws
Solution: Require a height/weight field. Sorry. This goes back to the Catfishing topic. Folks that take a shot of their face only, hiding the rest of themselves in some sense of shame/embarrassment/whatever hangups they have?
Don’t waste either of the people’s time. Let them know what they’re getting into at the beginning.
Require this field be updated every six months, or disable the profile.
Problem: Dates
Solution: Date Mode
When the two of you come together, you scan each other’s QR codes. Allow this to be shareable to friends/trusted people/etc, showing the two of you of you together.
Use a shared calendar to schedule the date. Use phone GPS to confirm the two of you at the same place.
Person who no-showed loses access to the app until they explain. Link this in reviews.
If the party that got stood up checks off on the answer, app access is restored, otherwise a penalty is given to the offending party, and a strike system is put into place. So many strikes, no longer able to use the app.
Problem: Not Getting Matches
Solution: See how many time your profile has been seen & skipped
This might suck. I get it. But I’d rather know than not. Allow for a comment as to why. Be an optional field, should a thoughtful person want to share their reason for passing. Make the comment hidden, so the person receiving does not have to see it. Allow this field to be turned off in your profile.
These are just off the top of my head.
Will update as my experiences change.
