Social networks were a bright idea, but there’s no perfect implementation. Unlike what I’d originally imagined, this won’t be a surprisingly eye-opening rant about social networks, which would be controversial but so convincing none of the 600 people who visit the site in a day(why are there so many anyways) would bother leaving feedback, but sindhu would post on her tumblog as a link.
While social networks do a good job of “connecting” people to others who either don’t remember they exist or wish death upon them secretly, the concept of a singular type of connection: a “friend”. They also do other things pretty well, as “staying in touch” with them, and poking, slapping, giving stale milk to, molesting and hugging them.
(sidenote, watch out for my upcoming facebook application: the “what kind of irrelevant, unqualified, useless quiz/test taking douchebag” are you? application.)
So here’s the idea: andy’s social network (for losers who click on advertisements):
1. user A signs up, providing an email and password.
2. user A enters age, sex, and what they’re looking for (friendship, networking, just a chat, etc) [this part is optional]. Based on this, they’re asked to enter location, etc.
3. user A enters six lists:
- Things I like to do/listen to/eat/etc
- Things I don’t like to do/listen to/eat/watch/etc
- Qualities that describe me [a few drop down choices for core features, all optional]
- Qualities that I like in people
- Qualities I don’t like in people
- Magic words: These are random phrases that interest/excite you. There will be a limit of 5
- the system processes the content, and compares it to the existing database. It finds that user “B” is most well suited for A, based on a confidential scoring algorithm. It checks the time zones, and decides an optimal time for A and B to have a chat.
An email is dispatched to A and B, saying they can choose a time to chat, and they can chat for 26 minutes. They can reschedule it if they want, by mentioning optimal times, etc.
now A and B connect to the chat and are completely anonymous. They talk for 26 minutes.
A and B are then given to choice. They can:
- Talk anonymously again for a longer time/some other time
- Reveal their details, profile, photographs, email, etc.
- Block the other person.
Note that A and B have to both choose the same thing. Even if one person tries to block, it’s blocked. The system learns a bit more about your preferences after this.
The main advantage over here is that the “friend” paradigm is eliminated. This is purely to meet new people, and do so in an unbiased way. Often social networks are plagued with people targeting the most attractive/popular people, and with no use, because this annoys both parties.
The anonymity brings a certain degree of mystery, and moreover because the interests are matched by an algorithm, which will rely on partial string matching and some clever scoring techniques, there’s a higher degree of success.
The most important thing is that mutual consent is required in order to further communicate. True there will be always ways to send private data over chat, but that’s not the point. The point is to have an unbiased judgement based on personal qualities, and then over appearance, which is quite opposite the standard paradigm.
I’m planning to work on it or give the idea to someone else to work on it, but this is one thing that just might work.
This is a great idea.