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Singapore govt dating app uses Gale-Shapley stable marriage algorithm

466 points · 499 comments · rzk

  1. purplepatrick · · focus · HN ↗
    Cute. Of course, beyond basic deal breakers, neither do people know their preferences (but they think they do), nor do the majority of preference categories actually matter.

    This is a common problem with all dating apps. Specifically, interests, hobbies, daily routines, objectives, etc. have nothing to do with compatibility.

    “We like the same things!” is the compatibility signal of a naive 22-yr old…

    1. Gigachad · · focus · HN ↗
      IMO the largest problem is that there is an enormous amount of friction to go from getting a match on an app to actually meeting them in real life. Which means it just doesn't happen that often. What we need is physical spaces where people can meet in person for a low or zero cost. That eliminates the friction of actually seeing someone because they are already there in front of you.
      1. modo_mario · · focus · HN ↗
        I disagree but a major factor is attraction and incentives. Last year i was dating and could fill every day with a date. Keeping an initial convo that was personal but keeping it short hit the sweetspot and it was remarkable how little friction there was. This was most pronounced with one specific app though.

        few years prior to that i was also in the dating game and it was a world of difference. Not only did i have notably fewer matches those same matches were very difficult to translate into real world contact. it really felt like i was both less appealing and was also fighting the apps trying to keep me in their pool of potential payers.

        Part of this can be attributed to me changing but part of this also to the incentives of the apps. If you could keep people matched up mostly within their bounds of non superficialy visible compatibility (life goals, kids, desired living location, etc) and also within their league as far as attractiveness goes to put it crudely (Don't have to be scanning faces the behaviour of the other sex does give these algorithms the required clues so good profiles do have an advantage) with no incentives to keep people in the cycle....

        Then I think people would be remarkably quick to go out. Much of it can be boiled down to quantity and the same goes for active dates.

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