21 comments

  • Jared KrauseJared Krause, almost 8 years ago (edited almost 8 years ago )

    First, let me address the content of this website:

    It's a dating app. What "dating" means to the average person is subjective. Some people use Tinder to find their future spouse, some use it solely for entertainment purposes, and (gasp) some people do use it to hook up.

    If you're opening that can of worms, hook ups frequently happen through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Should those be part of your crusade too?

    I've formed legitimate friendships through Tinder. I get to meet & talk to new people every single day. It's pure entertainment more than anything. Tinder users are grown adults that know the rights and wrongs regarding sex.

    Second: The design is great and those "I use Tinder for.." quotes are hilarious.

    18 points
    • Ryan Linstrom, almost 8 years ago

      Hey Jared - thanks for the comment. Totally agree with you on multiple levels. "Dating" can mean many different things to many people. We're using hyperbole to make a point (and make people laugh), though I'll be the first to admit we believe the issue is much more nuanced than the site may suggest.

      Part of that nuance is understanding that sex and dating can be complicated and not always just "pure entertainment". There are a number of organizations that have been using Tinder as a way to connect with people looking for someone to talk to about sexual health / sexual identity / depression / etc. etc. However - if those organizations are associated with sex (HIV prevention orgs, Sex-positive Advocacy Orgs, etc.), Tinder routinely drops their accounts.

      This is an actual problem.

      Since we're having a discussion about it (the reason we created this site, yay!), here's what I would say on a more nuanced, less funny version of the same site:

      "Tinder (and the App Store / Google Play Store) believes that dating and sex are separate things. We believe that many times - MANY TIMES - they are not separate. And since Tinder is an app is much more closely related to "hooking up" than an Instagram or a Facebook, Tinder should cut the bullshit, take some responsibility for how their users use their app, and at least allow the conversation about safe sex, sexual identity, abuse, etc. etc. to take place on their app."

      But enough about me. In your search for entertainment on Tinder, did you ever end up shaking the sheets? And was it amazeballs?

      3 points
      • James DJames D, almost 8 years ago (edited almost 8 years ago )

        Maybe it would be good to lead with the 'HIV prevention orgs, Sex-positive Advocacy Orgs, etc.' argument first on the site then. It's less funny, but it seems like you've pinpointed sexual education's lack of communication channels to young/fledging adults as the issue. Sounds like a much more interesting start of a discussion than, from the site right now, "Hey @tinder, I used your app to crunch guts and it was my spirit animal! #tinderisforhookups" — are you vetting the tweets being pulled onto the site?

        1 point
      • Jared KrauseJared Krause, almost 8 years ago (edited almost 8 years ago )

        I'm fairly sure ALL organizations trying to connect with users via Tinder are flagged as spam and their accounts are dropped.

        Tinder doesn't need to "cut through the bullshit" because they aren't bullshitting anyone. Have you used Tinder? 90% of women's profiles explicitly say "Not here for hookups". Many many people are legitimately seeking relationships the same way as OKCupid or Match. Tinder just happens to have easier UX and an extremely low barrier to entry.

        Maybe you should try it out before simply assuming Tinder is one giant sweaty diseased infested orgy.

        4 points
        • Dirk HCM van BoxtelDirk HCM van Boxtel, almost 8 years ago

          I'm fairly sure ALL organizations trying to connect with users via Tinder are flagged as spam and their accounts are dropped.

          This bit is key.    WHY does Tinder ban these people? Because they were flagged as spam. In other words: they were hassling people that didn't want to be hassled.

          3 points
      • Hans Peter NielsenHans Peter Nielsen, almost 8 years ago

        There are a number of organizations that have been using Tinder as a way to connect with people [...] Tinder routinely drops their accounts.

        I didn't know that they had profiles for organizations now! Oh wait, they don't. So accounts are being routinely dropped for violating terms and conditions. That's actually not a story. Also it's a good thing.

        2 points
      • Connor Tomas O'BrienConnor Tomas O'Brien, almost 8 years ago

        I wonder whether a good approach might be to include a little more information on the site about what might constitute a 'win' for the campaign? Fwiw, I don't think that Tinder should need to explicitly acknowledge how their app is used - as others have suggested, there are many use cases for Tinder, and none are necessarily more valid than any others.

        What would it practically look like for Tinder to acknowledge that their app is used for casual sex? How could this be done in a way that respects those who might not use the app this way, or that isn't offputting or condescending to users?

        I agree that there's a strong case to be made for Tinder working with sexual health orgs to develop a system that provides information (and potentially the opportunity for one-on-one counselling or advice), and I also agree that it's pretty shitty that Tinder doesn't seem to be pursuing this. But I'd love to see what this kind of partnership could look like. Nobody is really pretending that Tinder isn't used for hookups ... but how do you work 'sex ed for adults' into the system as it exists? Are there orgs that are looking to work with Tinder in this way? What are they looking for?

        2 points
    • Sean LesterSean Lester, almost 8 years ago

      I'm tired of the dismissive attitude people have towards tinder. The product is brilliant, and there is nothing inherently about it that makes it a "hookup" app. That may be the way people use it, the way the public views it - but that doesn't mean anything about the product itself. Why are so many other dating apps lifting their patterns? Because they created a great product that eliminates fear in making a connection with someone - and is simple. Even within our organization, Match (which owns tinder) the attitude is highly dismissive. The fact, though, is they're our fastest growing property with the smallest team while our flagship products have huge teams and still don't get anything done and can't keep up with apps like Tinder.

      0 points
  • Daniel De LaneyDaniel De Laney, almost 8 years ago

    It’s great that you want to further the cause of education, but Tinder accounts are intended for people, not educational groups or advertising. If you abuse the system, you should be banned, no matter how good your intentions.

    3 points
  • Sam SolomonSam Solomon, almost 8 years ago

    I hope one day my company is popular enough that people will build apps to troll us.

    3 points
  • Peter MainPeter Main, almost 8 years ago

    Can we set up a petition to ban the term "Amazeballs" instead?

    2 points
  • Pasquale D'SilvaPasquale D'Silva, almost 8 years ago

    This is SUCH a great cringe thread.

    1 point
  • Josué Gutiérrez Valenciano, almost 8 years ago

    Well, I have to admit that I used Tinder to give the dog a bone a couple of times, but I never realised that I could find my future girlfriend there. We have 4 months together now, and really scares me that, without Tinder, maybe I had never meet her just by myself.

    The chemistry between us is so great that is really dumb we meet using this app looking for other things. If I marry this girl, man, I'm gonna send some invitations to the people at Tinder XD

    The website is very funny as well.

    1 point
  • alec salec s, almost 8 years ago

    Adding a lot to my slang-vocabulary today!

    1 point
  • John PJohn P, almost 8 years ago

    Good luck with reversing Apples prudishness, because it isn't gonna happen.

    0 points