Friday, May 21, 2010

Um, for real?

Obviously, I'm not a neophyte to online dating.

Obviously, I'm not new to personalized, targeted e-mail solicitations with little or no basis in reality.

Yet, I got this mail from OKCupid tonight. I kind of don't want to think it has any merit. Then I remember the OKC founders are all Harvard summa cum laude math majors who treat dating as a series of doable algorithms.

And I kind of do.

Karin = good looking 
 "We are very pleased to report that you are in the top half of OkCupid's most attractive users. The scales recently tipped in your favor, and we thought you'd like to know.
"How can we say this with confidence? We've tracked click-thrus on your photo and analyzed other people's reactions to you.
"Your new elite status comes with one important privilege: You will now see more attractive people in your match results.  This new status won't affect your actual match percentages, which are still based purely on your answers and desired match's answers. But the people we recommend will be more attractive. Also! You'll be shown to more attractive people in their match results.
"Suddenly, the world is your oyster. Login now and reap the rewards. And, no, we didn't just send this email to everyone on OkCupid. Go ask an ugly friend and see."
The world is my oyster.

Who knew.

If I only knew what OKC's definition of "attractive" really was.

7 comments:

Random Blog Reader said...

I can confirm that they indeed did not send that to all OKC users. I can also confirm that they send me some not-so-attractive matches. Hmm. Perhaps it's time to change the photos.

Heathen said...

I got the same message! I was initially excited, but my suggested matches do NOT seem to be more attractive than they were two days ago. In fact, they are exactly the same, and many of them I've already gone out with :(

Unknown said...

I am part of the unattractive group because I did not get it but that is a-ok with me.

klk said...

I am finding myself giggling at the thought that they were holding back the "more attractive people" from you this whole time you've been on OKC and now they have been released after reaching your new elite status.

Of course, I have always thought you were a part of the elite, I'm just surprised it took them this long to figure out what I've known all along.

Karin said...

After a couple days of observation, I have to think @Heathen and I are on the same algorithm.

Still convinced the definition of "attractive" is not clearly defined. Says who?

Another Random Blog Reader said...

I got the message, too and know a couple of other people who received it last week. It must be a fairly new feature. The people I'm seeing now when I search look pretty much the same as before.

Tal said...

I've got the same message and I'm getting exactly the same results. I'm guessing it is one of OkCupid's latest experiments and we'll read about it on their blog soon...