[_exnk]

Purely a thought experiment here: what do you think would happen if rather than making "ugly people" free to message, you incentivized the message? Pay $1 per message to a hot person, get paid $1 per message to an ugly person.

I wonder if that market would find equilibrium.

Edit: I guess the "purely a thought experiment" disclaimer got dismissed by everybody looking for a little outrage today. This is not a business plan, I just think it's interesting to think about these things.

[streb-lo]

I swear half the people on this website are social automatons.

"Hey, you're so ugly people get paid to message you! Thanks for using our service!" There is no way this would go over well.

[aembleton]

But only for a short while. If people message you (even if they are paid to), the algorithm will determine that you're not so ugly.

[sangnoir]

That's so easy to game this system - people will send "hey" to 10 non-hot people, just to be able to afford a proper message to one attractive person

[phantom784]

Paying people would just incentivize them to message people that they have no interest in dating anyways.

[_exnk]

Yeah probably. I'm wondering if there isn't a way to incentivize actually taking the time to have a conversation with someone you're not immediately attracted to. Maybe like a conversation-length gate or rewards based on message recipient ratings of the message you send?

Alternatively something like a monthly allowance of credit and then an auction style messaging system would be interesting.

[vbtemp]

Interesting idea, the floor does not have to be zero.