@eriktorenberg@writerpollock It seems like one more place for women to fret over the minutiae of their interactions with men. Maybe it's cathartic, maybe it's useful, but that's not "female empowerment."
I think one of my friends put it well: "It encourages young women to base their self-worth on signals from men. This platform is the opposite of empowering."
@eriktorenberg@_tessr I agree with your concern. I'd first ask, 'Have you used the product, or are you basing assumptions on the name alone.' Maybe the name is a poor choice, but the people on the platform are helpful.
Second, I'd say that it depends on the mentorship through the platform whether it helps or hurts, which is probably a case by case basis just like all advice. If a woman positively advises another woman on relationships, is that a bad thing? Again, haven't used the product, but 500 Startups (this is a Batch 11 company) is one of the biggest supporters of female founders and diversity in the valley, so I'd doubt that this platform is meant to degrade women in any way.
Also, here's an example of how a woman needing advice leaning in the way of positive support: http://hetexted.com/questions/ho...
My two cents. I see both sides. It's definitely a gray area.
Personally, I'm a bit skeptical of receiving relationship advice from strangers who don't share my context / wants / needs. Their experts for example are just active community members. It's the Yahoo! Answers equivalent of expertise. It would be awesome if their 'experts' were actual professional relationship counselors who could provide a more objective view.
That said, I think there's something really awesome about the idea of crowd-sourcing advice and support. There's a huge opportunity to address a growing number of young women who have questions about relationships and sexuality but might not be comfortable going to their parents or friends. Women who are experimenting with or questioning their identity/orientation, or who are interested in and considering polyamory and want to speak to other women with experience. So maybe drop the hetero-normative name. She Asked instead of He Texted?
@sabrina Hey Sabrina! Thanks for the feedback. Re: using advice professionals, we found that rather than 'experts', our users enjoy talking to people just like them. Which means the guy next door type, or someone who has been in a similar situation. Also, I hear what you are saying about all kinds of women, and men, using the platform. That's definitely something we are really passionate about. We already have a community of girls asking about girls, and men asking about men - which is awesome. The more inclusive the platform becomes, the better. Thank you for your thoughts!
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