THE CONVERSATION – Oct 12 – Facebook has launched a show called Virtually Dating, a version of a blind date using HTC Vive VR technology. Then, for those who are struggling with dating altogether, an app for HTC Vive offers dating lessons. The effect VR dating could have on our social structure is still unknown, but a recent study by researchers at West Virginia University and the University of Illinois looked at first physical date success after initial contact through online dating. In many cases, a decline in attraction occurred after the first face to face date, in spite of previously favourable online interactions. A VR date might be a more intense and personal experience. Moving from screen to VR invokes "presence" – the feeling of actually being in the virtual space itself.
Month: October 2017
CEO Interview With CEO Of Match Group, Mandy Ginsberg
KERA.ORG – Oct 6 – CEO host Lee Cullum goes inside the business of online dating with Mandy Ginsberg, CEO of Match Group. Ginsberg says innovating through technology is crucial in an increasingly competitive market. Watch the full video interview here.
Why This Sikh Entrepreneur Created A Jewish Dating App
JTA – Oct 11 – KJ Dhaliwal and Sukhmeet Toor, both Sikhs, are behind Dil Mil, described as a "Tinder alternative" for the South Asian community. Since they founded the app in 2015, it has made ~5M matches. They are now launching Shalom, a dating app for the Jewish community. "We saw a lot of similarities in the Jewish and South Asian communities – the values around family and marriage," said Dhaliwal. Shalom and Dil Mil rely on algorithms that suggest matches based on user behavior and data. Users can access Shalom both by the app, as well as through Facebook Messenger. On Facebook, users chat with a bot that asks them questions about themselves and suggests possible matches. Conversing with the bot is counterintuitive at times. For example, users have to follow a specific format when giving their geographic locations.
Making Britain The Safest Place In The World To Be Online
GOV.UK – Oct 11 – Britain is to become the safest place in the world to be online thanks to new proposals announced today by Culture Secretary Karen Bradley. Cracking down on dangers like cyber-bullying, trolling and under-age access to porn, the Government's Internet Safety Strategy proposes:
- A new social media code of practice to remove or address bullying, intimidating or humiliating online content
- An industry-wide levy so social media companies contribute to raise awareness
- An annual Internet safety transparency report to show progress on addressing abusive content
- Support for tech and digital startups to think safety first
In the past year, one fifth of 12-15 year olds encountered something online that they 'found worrying or nasty in some way' and 64% of 13-17 year olds have seen images or videos offensive to a particular group. Nearly half of adult users also say they have seen something that has upset or offended them on social media.
“Love For Sports” Dating App Launching In Dallas
PR WEB – Oct 10 – Love for Sports is a sports-minded dating and networking app for fans of any sport or team. Users can take someone to the game as a date or meet up with a group and enjoy it collectively. Based in Houston, Texas, Love for Sports was founded by William Griffin and Jeff Blevins in 2015. Both app owners are avid sports fans and realized that was not a dating app for this audience.
Internet Dating Jobs Listing Update – October 2017
OPW – Oct 10 - The new Internet dating jobs listing is live on the Internet Dating Jobs blog.
Below see a couple of this month's most interesting offers:
Affinitas
Head of HR
Badoo
Group Commercial Finance and FP&A Lead
Hornet
Director, Sales & Partnerships
Mayze
Co-Founder & COO
My420mate
Marketing Director
Snap Interactive
Director of Business Intelligence
The League
Head of Digital Marketing
To see more open positions go here.
Do you have an idating industry job offer which is not included? Please, send it to petra@courtlandbrooks.com and we will add it to the list.
Vlogumentary: Indian Dating And Matrimonials
OPW – Oct 10 – India is changing fast! The tradition of arranged marriages is transitioning to ‘planned marriages’ and dating apps. Earlier this year I traveled to India to capture this snapshot in time and history of the progress of the matrimonial and dating apps industry there. I talked with the CEOs of Matrimony, Shaadi and Woo, and interviewed several diverse and fascinating users. This ‘vlogumentary’ covers my journey in Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let me take you to India.
See all posts on Matrimony.com
See all posts on Shaadi
See all posts on Woo
Post by Mark Brooks @ Courtland Brooks
Helen Fisher: “The Only True Algorithm Is Your Own Brain”
THE MANEATER – Oct 10 – Psychologist and anthropologist Helen Fisher was a part of the Life Sciences & Society symposium, The Science of Love, in which speakers were sharing research about the biology and chemistry behind love. Fisher worked with match.com in 2005 when she was hired to create chemistry.com, which combined hormone and personality-based matching systems. Romantic love is linked to a sense of attachment that is triggered through the chemicals oxytocin and vasopressin in the brain. This feeling can also be connected to sex drive. Fisher doesn't see dating sites as sites that facilitate dating. They're more like introducing sites, she said. A matching system isn't always right. "The only true algorithm is your own brain," Fisher said.
California Updates Dating Services Contract Law
Emojis Are Not A Good Strategy To Combat Harassment, Tinder!
THE GUARDIAN – Oct 9 – Tinder has recently launched a new anti-harassment feature, but virtual eye rolls and martini throws may not be the best way to combat abuse. The feature is called Reactions and it is a selection of animated responses only available to female users, allowing them to throw a virtual martini in the face of a user who is bothering them, or send a sarcastic eye roll. It is part of the company's Menprovement initiative, launched with a video featuring US comedian Whitney Cummings, in which the company's female employees decide that "calling out douchebags should be easy and fun". But encouraging women to engage in conversation with the "douchebags" might not be a good idea. "As soon as you create a response to harassment through things like emojis or gifs, you almost end up lessening the severity of it," says Louise Troen, global brand director of Bumble.
by Hannah J. Davies
See full article at The Guardian