
Dating is a free software issue - tujv
https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/dating-is-a-free-software-issue
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soulnothing
I had an idea for a dating / social app. Using activity pub. The whole dating
app scene, could do without monetary incentive.

Keeping inactive profiles present to pad results. Lack of filtration on
message receival. Keeping people on via swiping etc.

The applications feel like they're geared more as a game. Keeping people on
the apps. I've heard the same frustrations over and over from people. I've
even heard similar pitch ideas. Then the question of how to monetize it comes
up.

I'm not generally a free software only person. But I think that a public space
for socialization and meeting people online. Should be free on monetization,
or incentive of money.

I had thought of a torrented, shared db within a local region. With a few
central nodes, eliminating hosting costs. This is just filed away as one of my
fun projects.

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ocdtrekkie
There's a certain point where I ask: Would an FSF enthusiast be interested in
dating someone who signed up via a proprietary app, or would they be looking
to date other free software enthusiasts who were also looking for people
without using a proprietary app?

It can be really challenging to deal with a significant other without using
the same apps they do, if they have chat apps they use, social networks
they're on, or money transfer apps they like, you can regularly run into a
"well, my phone can't use that app" situation.

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spiznnx
The only app that really matters to have in common with the person I'm dating
has been a chat app. It's not so hard to install one extra app. Luckily Signal
is working well for us (not big Free software enthusiasts though).

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0xf8
I’m thoroughly confused as to what state of the world one envisions as the
alternative and how that would function. I understand an argument against
purely a philosophical justification for proprietary software and no open
access. But the practical reality of modern societies and Capitalism is that
the closed source nature of many services / software brings many positive
benefits to society and in some case is necessary for that platform’s very
existence.

~~~
Ace17
> the closed source nature of many services / software [...] in some case is
> necessary for that platform’s very existence.

Could you please give an example of this?

Beware of arguments like "had it been free software, it couldn't have been
monetized it as it was": this reasonning presupposed a fixed set of business
models, and doesn't account for the emergence of new ones (e.g online games
with subscription, "free-to-play" games, etc.).

