I want to be clear: I think this is stupid, but it captures the zeitgeist of what is going on in the world and sigh, I had such higher hopes for humanity. 😔
"Loly is redefining the notion of consent to make sexual encounters safer and more enjoyable. First we run extensive matching algorithms to match users with someone who is much more likely to be compatible than the ubiquitous swipe method. Next, we connect matches via Instant Video Chat to allow them to talk and do another level of due diligence before they arrange to meet in person. They can also decide whether they want to conduct a background check and/or STD status check on their matches before they proceed. If they decide they want to connect sexually, we make sure both parties consent via our Blockchain Check-In, Loly Lisason™, complete with a Sober Check first if they desire, and Check-Out consent system. Furthermore, users can program a Safe-Word that the platform will monitor for in case you ever find yourself in a situation in which you are not comfortable with the encounter."
@chrismessina@amrith Society may like to have higher hopes for humanity (and we may have an inherent dislike for buzzwords ;)) but it's hard to deny the issue that @adryenn is addressing in her build for this product. (Taken from the inc. article linked above)- "A recent poll showed that men's #1 fear of going on a blind/online date: that the women would be chubbier than their photos. Women's #1 fear was being murdered." Quite the contrast.
I too have had this fear going on blind dates in the past. It’s very real, not a buzzword thing to say sadly.
I can see how a dating or hookup app with inbuilt safety features including safe words that will send help if you need it, and provide background checks on prospective partners would be readily welcomed, particularly by women.
@chrismessina@adryenn@ems_hodge very true 🙌 I think Chris meant that this app portrays a real issue that ideally shouldn't have existed in the first place, hence the hopes for humanity in general and not against what the app is trying to do.
@amrith ha! Better said! But also: consent on the blockchain? It just feels like a legalistic/technocratic solution to a problem better tackled by communication and self development.
@ems_hodge totally — I am fully in favor of people feeling safe and confident when they choose to go on dates. Making that process more reliable, transparent, and safe is worth pursuing. My concern with this specific implementation is that it's not unique and seems to posit that registering the agreement to have sex on the blockchain will resolve all the tricky issues and ambiguity around consent. In reality, consent should be thought of as a process, not something you obtain once in an evening and then you have carte blanche to do whatever you want (i.e. "oh look here! I already got your consent! It's on the blockchain!").
Maybe there's more to Loly than my simplistic interpretation, but it's a bit too early in its development process to fully get a sense for what the product will offer, or how it will, realistically, implement the highly-desirable, but hard-to-achieve safety protections that it aspires to offer.
@goyasapiens you clearly don't have trouble dating or you'd understand the pain of being one of the 70% of heterosexual daters currently unserved by any of the available apps.
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