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A 'Clippy'-Style Chatbot -- and Other Creepy Online Dating Innovations (yahoo.com)

An anonymous reader quotes Yahoo Finance: The dating site eharmony is hoping to launch a chatbot to stop people from ghosting, or cutting off communication with potential matches, CEO Grant Langston exclusively tells Yahoo Finance. The would-be feature, which eharmony has yet to start development on, would pop up in the user interface after an online conversation with another user drops off after several days or weeks. The dating bot could analyze information on both users' dating profiles and recommend they reinitiate contact by prompting them to "Say something" or suggesting something more helpful... . "It's astounding really how many people need help. We think we can do that in an automated way..."

Langston acknowledges the business has a lot to troubleshoot with the feature before it eventually rolls it out, including addressing possible user concerns around user privacy. While having a feature like the date bot could hypothetically increase the odds of a user scoring that first date, it could also unnerve some other users wondering how their prospective suitor knew to ask about their favorite musician, movie or music to begin with. Such concerns could theoretically call for privacy options regulating what kind of profile information the bot can grab and serve up as an icebreaker. The dating site could also decide to generally reign in what the dating bot suggests based on user testing. "Just because you can doesn't necessarily mean you should do," adds Langston.

Meanwhile, a Michigan-based startup has launched what one alternative newsweekly describes as a "Yelp for humans" -- a new browser extension that syncs with a user's pre-existing dating profile on sites like Match.com, OkCupid, PlentyOf Fish, eHarmony, Zoosk or Badoo. "Once installed, a user can leave anonymous comments regarding someone's profile based on dates or interactions gone wrong and those comments can be viewed by other DateAha! users to better inform whether or not the person is a total creep."

And of course, Facebook is testing a new dating app in two more countries, People reports. In order to use the new online dating service, Facebook users will be tasked with creating a new profile that will exist separately from the one that all of your friends and family can see... The dating service will send you suggested matches based "on your preferences, interests, and things you do on Facebook," but the app won't try to make a love connection with any of your Facebook friends (or anybody you have blocked), Facebook promises... You will also have the ability to block or hide anybody -- including specific friends of friends -- from your suggested matches.

47 comments

  1. Re:APK Hosts File Engine for Linux/BSD... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Only a complete virgin loser like APK would use an internet dating site.

  2. Lawsuit Waiting to Happen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Yelp for Humans" will lead to a lawsuit if not a class action. That's not even accounting for trolls, bots, or other bad actors who could hijack such a system.

    1. Re: Lawsuit Waiting to Happen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yelp for humans? Wait, so does that mean I can pay to artificially increase my ratings just like the real yelp does?

    2. Re: Lawsuit Waiting to Happen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, yeah. I can pay to be the top ranked anywhere and get overghosted. Game changer?

    3. Re:Lawsuit Waiting to Happen by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

      "Yelp for Humans" will lead to....

      In a dating app, we wouldn't call it Yelp, but Moan.

    4. Re:Lawsuit Waiting to Happen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's the same schtick as "Peeple" was, a "Yelp for humans." It's an online graffiti service. Ironically, the company behind it is "Graffiti, Inc." Feel free to twat at them @DateAha and let their domain/hosting services GoDaddy and DigitalOcean know what you think about a service whose entire point is targeted harassment.

      As soon as the YouTube community get their hands on this...it's gonna be a shitshow.

  3. Needs to leverage Amazon or eBay by bobstreo · · Score: 2

    "i see you're trying to get laid"

    "Have you tried sending flowers? She likes tulips."

    1. Re:Needs to leverage Amazon or eBay by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      "I see you're trying to get laid."

      "Humans are outside of your likely candidates,"

      "Would you like to order a Roomba?"

    2. Re:Needs to leverage Amazon or eBay by dgatwood · · Score: 2

      Not to mention web searches, e.g. "Encourage her to have that mole checked."

      Even better, do product tie-ins between all of the above:

      People who had sex with [person] also bought [condoms], [penicillin].

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    3. Re:Needs to leverage Amazon or eBay by mentil · · Score: 1

      More like: "Would you like to order a vibrator?"

      --
      Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    4. Re:Needs to leverage Amazon or eBay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I see you're trying to get laid. This is attempted rape, you have been reported.

    5. Re: Needs to leverage Amazon or eBay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Women need an app to help them judge if the sex was good or not and "one click report rape" if it was not good.

    6. Re:Needs to leverage Amazon or eBay by azcoyote · · Score: 1
      --
      Incipiamus, fratres, servire Domino Deo, quia hucusque vix vel parum in nullo profecimus.
    7. Re:Needs to leverage Amazon or eBay by grep+-v+'.*'+* · · Score: 1

      Even better: give it access to your A/e account and have it ship the flowers FOR you. It could write and sign the card for you, too.

      Want a romantic supper? It could set up a delivery of takeout for two -- to two seperate addresses. And then she could automate her responses and gifts, and pretty soon we've got internet connected remote control fleshlights and dildos for NetFlix movie night, once again at two seperate addresses. Cameras for visuals? NAAA, that'd break the romance if you know what they looked like. Or actually said.

      *This* could be eHarmony's new sales pitch: Have Trouble Meeting Women? Then Don't!

      --
      If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
  4. Ladies night by Arzaboa · · Score: 1

    It is a shame that so many people feel they can not simply be normal fools when trying to date. Some of the best lines come from people that feel uncomfortable, but are as normal as anyone else. It is those uncomfortable moments that people share together that help them feel closer. If you can both get through them together, it's certainly worth the date.

    --
    Dating is about finding out who you are and who others are. If you show up in a masquerade outfit, neither is going to happen. -- Henry Cloud

    1. Re:Ladies night by azcoyote · · Score: 1

      Very true. I met my wife on the night when I was taking a break from trying to impress; I had hurt myself playing capture the flag the night before so I was feeling very lazy. I wore old sweat pants and a cheesy joke t-shirt that didn’t really match. And it worked anyway!

      --
      Incipiamus, fratres, servire Domino Deo, quia hucusque vix vel parum in nullo profecimus.
  5. what would be really helpful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Hi! I'm Caspy the friendly ghostbot. It looks like you're writing a message to someone you were trying to ghost. Are you sure?"

    1. Re: what would be really helpful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A ghost button and unghost button would help, with a tooltip suggesting when to press it. The other person could be informed that ghost mode is on or off by changing the icon of the user ghosting them.

  6. Date Night by mentil · · Score: 1

    Clearly, there are so few comments thus far because it's a Saturday night and Slashdotters must be out on dates.
    Either that, or playing Red Dead Redemption 2.
    But in the end, aren't those one and the same?!
    No, no they are not.

    --
    Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    1. Re: Date Night by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      Nope, they are not. Red dead redemption 2 is a console exclusive title, hence I am replaying the Battletech campain.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    2. Re: Date Night by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Battletech is inferior to APK's host file engine!

      Stop wasting your time! Promote APK's work as if your life depended upon it!

      We are all inferior to him. To bask in his glory, do his work!

      ALL HAIL APK!

  7. Encourage answers by rundgong · · Score: 1

    When one party has been ghosted, that means there is an unanswered question. They should encourage answering that question before trying to get more questions.
    On the other hand there is room for some automated coaching without being creepy. Like advice on how to ask better questions and how to answer questions in a way that drives the conversation forward and not stopping it.

    If you want to give conversation topics it might work in the form of announcing it to both parties. Like "do you know you were both to Disneyland this summer?"

    1. Re:Encourage answers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The answered question is always "I don't like you that much anymore"

      Even if the unanswered one is "Why don't you like me anymore?" there's usually not much good that can come of discussing it. Either it's something the person can't change or won't change.

    2. Re:Encourage answers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Do you know that you go to the same VD clinic?"

    3. Re:Encourage answers by StormReaver · · Score: 1

      When one party has been ghosted, that means there is an unanswered question.

      When one party has been ghosted, all relevant questions have already been answered: the ghoster is immature, and the person being ghosted has dodged a bullet.

    4. Re:Encourage answers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I mean... it's easy enough to say "people need to work on keeping the conversation going", but trust me, it's still an uphill battle.

      Frequently you're met with one word responses that scream "entertain me or I'm gone". The pressure is immediately on and it's even easier to say something stupid... so you start sticking to boring "interview" style questions so as to not rock the boat. But then they grow bored by your not rocking the boat haha and *poof* ghosted, because there's literally dozens of other tom, dick & harry's clawing at their dating profile's inbox.

    5. Re:Encourage answers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sometimes people do ghost for good reason though: a possible abuser ghostee...

  8. momless easy prey for online fraudsters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    don't even bother.. the real heartfelt moms seem to prefer in person eye to eye volunteer mothering, which is the actual remedy for our fatal malady.

  9. problems finding an offline volunteer mom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they seem to spread it on the thickest where it does the most good. look there, lend them a hand. we can only pretend to not feel it. that's the spirit..

  10. Black Mirror by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So basically assisted dating.. .this is straight out of the 'White Christmas' episode of Black Mirror.

  11. how much more? by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    Is there an incredulous emoticon? Something more then annoyed will do.

  12. This illustrates the problem with online dating: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It sucks. Because people can so "easily" connect with so little effort, no one takes the matches or the dates seriously... at least not anymore.

    Back around 2008-2009, you could actually send someone a message and *gasp* get a response!

    These days, conversations frequently fizzle out without a single clue as to why. It's almost like if you don't say the -right- thing in each message, you're dropped, But hey, all's fair in love/war (at least for another couple years), and I'm not sure I want software nudging along.

  13. DateAha! you say? I think you mean "Peeple" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Remember the "Yelp for humans" called Peeple and how fantastically well that went down? Yeah, DateAha! is totally less easily abused guys. Totally. There DEFINITELY won't be "he's a pedo that fucks barn animals on the side" comments and other mean girl style trolling on there, no sirree! These folks are S-M-R-T.

  14. If you hate women so much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Try boys.

  15. Dating sucks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    At least for a guy like me: not particularly tall, not particularly muscular, geeky. Perhaps others on this site can identify.

    Women don't find me dreamy. They fling themselves at men that are tall, muscular, and in positions of power....even if those men are taken. But they ignore me.

    And the women that are left? Most of the ones online are foreign scammers. Those that remain are very obese and/or single moms looking for a meal ticket. The rare and precious few that aren't in those categories.....usually have something about them that drives men away (including me). The most common "somethings" that I have encountered are: feels like she is settling for you and so you should be overcome with gratitude and obsess over her and spend lavishly on her, or, she is an insufferable feminist that feels like she should do nothing for you while you do everything for her. Or they know that tech careers pay well, so they just want your money.

    It is better to be single than in an unhappy relationship, and the available options just aren't acceptable.

    I think some guys are cut out for relationships and breeding, and others (like me) just aren't.

    1. Re:Dating sucks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, if you are in somewhere like the United States, and you are short and not a 'handsome' or muscle type, you will have a very very hard time.. I know I did..

      The good news is though, 'short' is comparative depending on where you are. Just move to a country where the female obesity level is lower and average white male height is not 6 feet, and you will have a much easier time and dating will be fun with lots of nice ladies. That is what I did (I moved to far east Asia, but friends of mine had excellent success in Eastern Europe as well). Many of these countries now have standards of livings at par or surpassing the United States (I would stay away from poor countries to evade golddiggers). I had a selection of nice girls that were fun to date, no fatties and I got a sane, beautiful woman as a result who is still gorgeous and with me after 20 years.

      Since you have an I.T. background, you can get visa's and work pretty much anywhere in the world (just follow the same Visa processes the Indians always do whereever they go). Eastern Europe, Far East Asia, richer parts of South America all have good IT jobs (with comparable costs / standards of living for skilled people like you). The dating scene will change absolutely overnight compared to what you are used to in the cesspit of psychos, fatties and vainers that you usually see in the USA.

      Just do it... you won't regret it..

    2. Re:Dating sucks. by DMJC · · Score: 1

      Try moving cities. I was in a position like that when I was living in the town where I grew up. I moved interstate and things were a lot better. Sometimes you have to break yourself out of the mindset/culture of the location you're in to find success. That might mean moving to a larger city with greater choice/range, or downsizing to a city that's smaller/more intimate.

    3. Re:Dating sucks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm "short" (5'10") and not muscular, but I am good looking and in shape. I've never had a problem dating, no matter where in the world I lived. The reason is because I've got balls. I'm not some shy wallflower, I participate and I will (and have) approach the most beautiful woman and ask her out. You'd be surprised at how often it works (if she isn't married, then it always works).

    4. Re:Dating sucks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      uh.. 5"10 is not short...

      I am 5"6, everything is different at that height in the USA. Trust me :-)

    5. Re:Dating sucks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On the bright side, when I am elsewhere in the world, yes, approaching constantly and all those tricks work, of course and I have a lot of success.. which is why I moved there.

      But at 5"6 as a white male in the USA without being extremely muscular (gym works which I do so I am certainly very "fit",but 80% of that is genetic as well to really get thick unless you take steroids), so extreme shortness works against you in a big way, you just get other guys' elbows in your face in crowded bars all the time.., and you get screened out immediately online. At 5"10, you aren't going to have much of a disadvantage..thats tall..

  16. Different bot for ghosting. by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

    The dating site eharmony is hoping to launch a chatbot to stop people from ghosting, ...

    They have "ghostbot" for that - or, if you *really* want to ignore them, you can use "catbot".

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  17. Re: APK Hosts File Engine for Linux/BSD... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apk software is a virus.

    - spruce schneier

  18. IMPERSONATING me AGAIN? apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: Hope you're RIGHT (considering I'm only sure hosts stop portsmash vs. Spectre/Meltdown) https://tech.slashdot.org/comm...

    I pity c6gunner caught impersonating me (his name's the submitter signing "APK") https://linux.slashdot.org/com...

    * He tried to INSULT me & so I made him a COMPLETELY FAIR CHALLENGE he couldn't meet or beat by showing me he's done better work in the past prior to his impersonating me there.

    (You shouldn't throw stones when you live in a glass house boys - especially vs. me: RIGHT, ZIP? https://developers.slashdot.or... )

    APK

    P.S.=> Hosts stop portsmash (by blocking download sources of its mailcious exes doing it) https://it.slashdot.org/commen... not Spectre/Meltdown - & YOU FAIL THIS PORTFILTERING TEST liar https://yro.slashdot.org/comme... (my program won't allow that error) so cut your lies as you IMPERSONATE me you pitiful loser... apk

  19. Trust them for privacy by manu0601 · · Score: 1

    Facebook users will be tasked with creating a new profile that will exist separately from the one that all of your friends and family can see.

    Sure, that will be true until Facebook leaks it one way or another.