Dr. Andy Farnell (Cyber|Show) Explores the Reality and Myths of So-called 'Dating Apps' That Seek to Monetise People's Loneliness and Personal Data
With his dear guest, Dr. Kate Brown, whose Ph.D. explored the subject based on ample collections of literature, including historic psychological analyses
TWO weeks ago we published this great presentation by Helen Plews and Andy Farnell. It's a public talk (no editing), which my wife and I have just re-watched in full (it's worth it, trust us! The core presentation is punchy and concise!), including the hostile Q&A "grilling". They spoke to clown pushers, so this hostility was expected. They challenged their whole worldview and profession right in front of them.
The "clown computing" myth needs to die and in fact so does the term, as Dr. Stallman explained at the start of this month. Rejecting the very term (and faux concept, fake abstraction) is the beginning of educating, enlightening, and awakening people. It helps reform and inform when the misleading buzzwords are cast aside/away.
Speaking of Andy Farnell, he has just published a new episode (direct MP3 link, more information in their site), 'foreworded' or introduced by his colleague Ed. We've listened to the whole thing as well because it touches a common topic: dating apps. I don't use "apps" and I didn't meet my wife through dating sites or apps or whatever (I'm generally not gullible enough to trade personal communication with diabolical and selfish "data" companies or "brokers"). I'm not too familiar with how they work, but the show makes many legitimate points about how people fail to judge other people through some photo or words (in "apps" or Web pages). There's no nuance, eye contact etc. The companies behind such "apps" moreover have an incentive to keep people glued to their "apps", i.e. they have conflicting (to the users') interests. Rather than matchmakers they become more like "pimps" or like quacks who just want their 'patients' to not heal and instead come back for another visit.
Venerable "clown" companies (like the ones in the aforementioned public talk) prey on people who fake popularity, achievements, looks etc. based on inner insecurity and perceived need to impress, in the process revealing far too much about themselves, including intimate information.
From the episode's summary: "In this episode of In The Chair, we speak to Dr Kate Brown about online dating and how people meet each other using phones. Do online dating apps lead to healthy and successful relations, or are they just best for hookups and fun?"
This is less than an hour long, but many of the key topics are covered in the first 10-20 minutes. Andy uses terms like "natural habitat" to express what it's like to know who you really meet or date (e.g. while walking out the dog, not dressed up for a night out at the pub). █