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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”

#211

Post by semi-extrinsic »

tedks wrote: post #165
SCHiM wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What exactly is polite about lying? It seems like an easy way out instead of the right way out: just telling somebody you're not interested.

This is a very good example of male privilege. What comes to mind as the first thing that would happen as a result of this? Most women are smaller than the men that hit on them, and are constantly told they need to be vigilant against assault (this is a consequence of victim-blaming, which is wrongheaded, but nonetheless psychologically influencial). A woman saying "I'm not interested" is directly rejecting the man h…

That is a very bleak, and, if I may say so, quite sexist world view. Or I guess I should count myself lucky that in my work/social environments, people don't base their respect of other people on gender, but on behaviour and attitude.

Also, I don't necessarily see vigilance against a potential attacker as wrongheaded. I see it as sensible, you're hedging against a very-low-probability but very-dire-consequence risk. No matter how close we come to complete gender equality, there will always be mentally disturbed persons who will attack people weaker than them. (Note that I am not saying that most assailants or rapists have mental disorders, it seems the research says only ~ 10% do.)

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

#212

Post by vacri »

return0 wrote: post #59

Not surprised that it works, it looks like something fun to do on both sides. In fact, i believe people who love romance would sign up for a free service like this on both ends. (Since their niche is people who dont want to have the actual relationships, they could easily pair up their users with each other as pure conversation partners). The sad thing is the reason that this app exists. Has it become so taboo to be…

Has it become so taboo to be single that you have to pay to hide it?

It is less taboo now than it has been for many generations (for anglos, at least). Being labelled a 'spinster' or a 'maiden aunt' was a stigma.

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

#213

Post by vacri »

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"

It's not meant to be a discussion service, but fake evidence that you've got a significant other.

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

#214

Post by tbrownaw »

tedks wrote: post #165
SCHiM wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What exactly is polite about lying? It seems like an easy way out instead of the right way out: just telling somebody you're not interested.

This is a very good example of male privilege. What comes to mind as the first thing that would happen as a result of this? Most women are smaller than the men that hit on them, and are constantly told they need to be vigilant against assault (this is a consequence of victim-blaming, which is wrongheaded, but nonetheless psychologically influencial). A woman saying "I'm not interested" is directly rejecting the man h…

What comes to mind as the first thing that would happen as a result of this?

"Oh, ok. Do you know anyone who is?"

Certainly not anything like what you're suggesting.

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

#215

Post by WillPostForFood »

SloopJon wrote: post #198
TeMPOraL wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a lot of similar feelings with Mass Effect series. In this game all the decisions you make permanently reshape the game world, which carries through the first game to second and third. Major and minor characters in the last game may be missing or doing different things based on your actions in the first game. While playing I felt the impact of my steps in even tiny details. This, + general storyline and executi…

Funny you should mention Mass Effect, because I'm playing that for the first time as well. Evidently there's a romantic sub-plot, making it even more relevant to this story. Will I get an Xbox achievement and 25 gamer points if I get lucky?

Only 10 points for the Paramour achievement.

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

#216

Post by splawn »

Karunamon wrote: post #204
aetherson wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cold reading is certainly not the only kind of fake psychic scam. For example, hot reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_reading However, a skilled cold reader will in fact get specifics (though they'll also have bad guesses), by making further general guesses based on the information you've already confirmed for them. For example, military service is very common for men in a certain age range, who were drafted t…

I'm not going to get into the over-arching point on a board inhabited by subscribers to scientism, but don't you think the jig is is kind of up if you're told someone has a scar through their right eye and they actually didn't, or that someone had a favorite shirt that has a tear in a certain place (that both of those things didn't exist, etc). In other words, a level of specificity that is not so easily dismissed as…

If you actually know someone with supernatural powers do them a huge favor and tell them about this so they can get their million dollars.

http://web.randi.org/the-million-dollar-challenge.html

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

#217

Post by justathrow2k »

Torgo wrote: post #178
justathrow2k wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This is why I don't use my real name on HN. Because you don't want the people in your life knowing that you pay money to manipulate and deceive those around you? Seems smart to keep that a secret.

[edited because I was unnecessarily brusque.] It was a practical joke, pretty much at my own expense, and I told my friends afterwards. The "joke" is that two very attractive women fighting over me is very unbelievable.

So, why don't you use your real name on HN, again?

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

#218

Post by LLWM »

pyrocat wrote: post #208
LLWM wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should try reading a book.

Books are great for making you feel something about fictional (or non fictional) characters, but they've got nothing on games when it comes to making you feel something about yourself.

You should try reading a good book.

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

#220

Post by hyp0 »

UrMomReadsHN wrote: post #144
jusben1369 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was young I picked up a book at a friend's house on astrology. I am a Taurus. I mistakenly opened it on another sign thinking I was reading the chapter on what made up a Taurus character. I was reading and nodding my head "wow, this is kind of weird. That is me. I do that. Well, I'm not like that but it's not going to be a 100% fit" After several pages I realized my mistake. And then I realized the Forer effec…

Julia Sweeney on astrology - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVjturKoFsg (The background is she just found out she was actually born 3 months after her parents told her she was born - they lied to get her to start school a year earlier.)

Astrology is obviously nonsense, but it seems plausible that the season of birth could have a personality effect: the cold dead of winter, with little fresh food vs spring etc, also from the attitudes of surrounding adults.

Of course, different near the equator, and phase-shifted in the southern hemisphere, and... much less pronounced in modern times, with supermarkets, refrigeration, air-conditioning/heating, imported foods, and wider social presence (newspapers, TV, radio, internet, phone) etc.

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