this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2025
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In terms of how it got worse, in my opinion, the biggest issue is that more people started using it who weren't looking for hook-ups.
There used to be a separation of apps for different purposes: OkCupid if you were younger and looking for a relationship, there was one for older people but I don't remember the name because I wasn't older at the time, and then there was Tinder for hooking up. And there were other apps, too, like PoF and others.
Now everyone uses Tinder for everything including finding friends, so that initial hookup aspect is gone. I don't know how the kids break their volcel pledge these days but Tinder has enshittified so much by getting too popular and mainstream that it's become the super-app. OkC has also significantly declined and with it the ability to more easily find more meaningful relationships online, in my opinion.
Also, they're all owned by the same company now. No surprise.
What, no e-Harmony, no Christian Mingle? What about Farmers Only?
I think e-Harmony was the one for older people, right?
Thankfully never interacted with the other two. Are they still around?
No idea, but e-Harmony was a personality test one, then their special match maker software would match you with people who'd be your soul mate. If you've taken some psych classes beyond the 200 level you'd know it's a bunch of self selecting bullshit.
Yeah I know a bunch of boomers including my mother who met people through e-harmony.
we don't
Thank you for your cooperation, citizen.
Yeah I remember the influx of people with bios like "Just here for a friend!"
That's cool, I'm at the busstop waiting for a train.
And then just all the enshittification and bots and weird gimmics. I find that hinge is a good time though
what is PoF's niche?
I think, if I remember right, PoF was the first one among younger people that paved the way and then other, better, and more popular sites came about that drew all the grass-touching normies onto them and made online dating acceptable.
I guess PoF just got a bad rap for being weird because it was the first one that tried to do it when it was still considered socially unacceptable to say you met your partner online. It feels like they never got over that stigma after ironically helping make it acceptable.
I only used it briefly. I think it's still around though.
yeah, it's still around, and surprisingly accessible given what literally every other dating site/app has become.
nonetheless it has been slightly enshittified in terms of limiting people's interactions with the site if they don't pay. just not as badly as other sites.
So, FYI, there's Hinge now, which is sorta becoming the "serious relationship for 25-40 year olds" app, and since it came out I think tinder is slowly reverting to a hookup app.
Interesting, good to know!