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The online dating space (I use the term liberally) is a huge fucking mess. There's only 2 or 3 companies with an offering that is anywhere near useful, and they're either evil, incompetent, or both.

Maybe it's time for an open source federated dating service or something. Or at least something that doesn't sell your data, doesn't leak your nudes, or doesn't get you beaten up/raped/murdered. Probably easier said than done.

I’ve been conceptualizing one for a few years, but just don’t have the free dopamine to build it alongside my day job.

ActivityPub even has the mechanics to facilitate it through publishing Person records. There is MASSIVE space for innovation, especially if you prioritize on non-monogamy, non-heterosexual, non-gender-conforming needs.

Dating apps are a REALLY hard space to get into, however. You need a cumulative mass of users in a given area before they’re useful, and monetizing it inevitably means making the app less useful. There’s a reason okcupid went to shit after it stopped being a non-profit.

And then there’s the moderation problem…

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