Post: #1

Worth reading in full:

http://kottke.org/14/08/the-problem-with...social-web

Quote:This is also why I don't have much patience with the idea that "The worst thing could have happened [with the OkCupid testing] is people send a few more messages, and maybe you went on a date you didn't like." (Rey Junco told this to ReadWrite to explain why he thought Facebook's study was worse than OKCupid's, but you see versions of this all over.)

First, going on "a date you didn't like" isn't a frivolous thing. It definitely incurs more material costs than not seeing a Facebook status. And bad (or good) messages or a bad or good date can definitely have a bigger emotional impact as well.

More importantly, though, don't make this just a question about dates or feelings, about what somebody did or didn't read and what its effect on them was. I don't care if you think someone making a dating profile is a frivolous thing. Somebody made that. They thought the company hosting it could be trusted to present it honestly. They were wrong.

Post: #2

Worth reading? From the extract it seems like a beta's sob story to me that seizes on a popular meme (poor users) and totally misses the underlying point of the experiment.

As I see it:

-POF created matching algorithm to bring users together.

-POF sought to ensure the rigorousness of its algorithm by split testing the matches and comparing the responses of matches delivered manually vs those delivered by the algorithm.

-In response betas and ugly women who for some reason think the algorithm is a divine and perfect feature and doesn't need refining have seized upon this experiment to take out their frustrations of online dating failure. The click bait media was more than happy to win page views from the countless hordes of betas and ugly women by joining in the irrational cries.

Highly relevant article, Jack Donovan on yellow scandal journalism and click bait:
http://www.jack-donovan.com/axis/2014/08...ournalism/

Relevant thread, the habit of complaining by Vincent Vinturi:
/thread-38782....um=twitter

Post: #3

The author's twitter account: https://twitter.com/tcarmody

Anyone who believes that the OKC algorithm reflects reality is an idiot or a woman. It's a stupid personality test that's no more rigorous than "what Game of Thrones character are you?"

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold