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“I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love”

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Re: “I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love”

#151

Post by tpeo »

Raphmedia wrote: post #112
kazagistar wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

25 cents for a "culturally and emotionally attuned" response seems fairly reasonable to me. It comes out to something like 100 seconds per response just to match minimum US wage.

It's good for long messages. However, I could see someone go through the 100 SMS very quickly in a "conversation" where the imaginary person has to answer a bunch of short texts like "yes", "and you", etc. I've tried the free trial, which is 10 SMS and went through them in half an hour or so (and that's because they don't reply very quickly). Haven't even got to the parts that I customized, I was still at "Hello ther…

'I could see someone go through the 100 SMS very quickly in a "conversation" where the imaginary person has to answer a bunch of short texts like "yes", "and you", etc.'

Reminds me of the Argument Clinic sketch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y#t=79

Re: “I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love”

#152

Post by UrMomReadsHN »

Kenji wrote: post #28

With some effort, you could get a visible boyfriend for 0$. But yeah, it's hard to overcome laziness.

Laziness? If you just enter a relationship just for the sake of having a relationship thats not fair to the other person involved. (Source: been the "other person.")

Re: “I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love”

#153

Post by UrMomReadsHN »

jeena wrote: post #147

> the service has also seen a surge in interest from people in conservative countries, particularly in South America and Europe, where the stigmas against being single or LGBT remain pretty strong. Uhm this is odd, I don't know about South America but Europe? Here in Sweden LGBT people are even allowed to marry in church before their god http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2009/10/22/Church-...

Europe is more diverse than people make it out to be. Plenty of European countries are very hostile to gays....

Re: “I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love”

#155

Post by sciguy77 »

ergl wrote: post #141

I wonder what would happen if you signed up for a boyfriend and a girlfriend and had them talk to each other

Ah now that would be interesting. It seems like in the examples provided the virtual SO is reactive, responding to what the user says (ex "I like Downton Abby") whereas when they reach out the messages are generic. I wonder if the conversation would generate its own 'depth'.

This seems to be a worthwhile experiment to me.

Re: “I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love”

#157

Post by meej »

jeena wrote: post #147

> the service has also seen a surge in interest from people in conservative countries, particularly in South America and Europe, where the stigmas against being single or LGBT remain pretty strong. Uhm this is odd, I don't know about South America but Europe? Here in Sweden LGBT people are even allowed to marry in church before their god http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2009/10/22/Church-...

I think the key phrase in that sentence is "conservative countries". Much of Eastern Europe still doesn't permit gay marriage, for example. Here's a good map: http://www.freedomtomarry.org/landscape/entry/c/internationa...

Re: “I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love”

#158

Post by gknoy »

tpeo wrote: post #151
Raphmedia wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's good for long messages. However, I could see someone go through the 100 SMS very quickly in a "conversation" where the imaginary person has to answer a bunch of short texts like "yes", "and you", etc. I've tried the free trial, which is 10 SMS and went through them in half an hour or so (and that's because they don't reply very quickly). Haven't even got to the parts that I customized, I was still at "Hello ther…

'I could see someone go through the 100 SMS very quickly in a "conversation" where the imaginary person has to answer a bunch of short texts like "yes", "and you", etc.' Reminds me of the Argument Clinic sketch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y#t=79

No it does-- er, nevermind. :D

Re: “I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love”

#159

Post by wtbob »

dorfsmay wrote: post #123

I try to explain this the first time I took a Myers-Briggs. "You're an INTG. Get together with other INTGs, read the descriptions... See, isn't this you?"

I will say, that as much as Myers-Briggs exploits the Forer Effect, that I did notice a few trends, e.g. that I cannot stand folks in one particular group (and no doubt they cannot stand me, either!). And it did seem fairly good at distinguishing extroverts from introverts (assuming arguendo that such a distinction is meaningful).

Re: “I paid $25 for an Invisible Boyfriend, and I think I might be in love”

#160

Post by Roodgorf »

tormeh wrote: post #57
loceng wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a fine line (maybe not so fine) as to when something becomes manipulation IMHO - though if someone's paying $25 monthly for someone(s) to chat with to feel connected then I suppose they've applied an added bias or value; makes me feel a bit sad if the people aren't doing it just for fun.

People are doing sadder things than this to keep the emotional lights on. At least it's cheaper than prostitutes. You know the saddest first-world thing I've ever heard? A prostitute doing a reddit AMA had a client once that wanted her to sing "happy birthday" for him. It was his birthday and no one else was going to.

> At least it's cheaper than prostitutes.

I think there are a few more moral issues with prostitution than its market value.

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