In one experiment, the site took pairs of "bad" matches between two people... and told them they were "exceptionally good" for each other.... "Not surprisingly, the users sent more first messages when we said they were compatible," Christian Rudder, one of the founders of OKCupid, said in a blog post on the company's research and insights blog.
Further experiments suggested that "when we tell people they are a good match, they act as if they are. Even when they should be wrong for each other." The company later revealed the correct scores to the participants.
In another experiment, OKCupid ran profiles with pictures and no profile text for half of its test subjects, and vice versa for the rest. The results showed that people responded solely to the pictures. For potential daters, Mr Rudder said that "your actual words are worth… almost nothing."
July 29, 2014
"Dating website OKCupid has revealed that it experimented on its users, including putting the 'wrong' people together to see if they would connect."
The whole thing is an experiment, but here's the revelation:
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6 comments:
Social media companies can't seem to resist secretly testing their unsuspecting participants... Not sure what to say about that.
But the second assumption is blatantly false. The absence of pictures doesn't mean that words don't matter. The absence itself casts doubt over the whole profile. The user who has him/herself posted picture, doesn't trust someone who hasn't.
Good writing on dating sites (or in blog comments!) matters. This is worse than Cosmo-level advice about what pleases a man.
Somewhere, Brendan Eich is smiling.
Most of the profiles on OKCupid are fake. Some are blatantly and even hilariously obvious.
It's the arrogance and amorality of the geeks who think they know better.
Started by ivy leaguers, sold to Barry Diller.
The perfect mix of eggheads and hollywood depravity.
are these paying customers? aren't you supposed to provide good service?
I'm shocked, shocked.
If you aren't paying for it you aren't the customer.
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