The three point line, the forward pass, email, cell phones, power steering, et al. The list of real, never look back, “your life just got easier”, game changers is not exactly massive. I think to define a real game changer, is to find something that not only simplifies the task its innovating but also makes any previous practice that ignores the innovation seem archaic and obsolete. Now, for those who knew me back before cell phones became smart phones, they all know I hated texting. Much like I’m not the biggest fan of online dating. But along with the smartphone revolution came the smartphone evolution of all things; in steps Hinge. Texting when it first hit the scene was one of those things to me that needed just a little more time in the oven. At inception texting was mashing away at a small flip phone with exponentially more button presses needed than for any normal keyboard thanks to the “brilliant” T9 typing format. It involved people creating smiley faces, and condensing whole conversations into short blurbs that if anyone took a moment and actually read the transcripts of really any text conversation it would read like a foreign language. This hasn’t improved much, but with the smart phone era its found its role a bit more. Are their people that solely use text as their main mode of communication, sure there are. But their limitation is purely a product of their own unwillingness to grow. With a smartphone you can text, when it’s something really quick, you can email if it’s a longer or more intricate correspondence, and you can do all this while talking on the phone. Using a smartphone for only texting is like having a basketball team with 5 Steve Kerrs, and only shooting three pointers. It’s silly. The smartphone blurs the line of communicator, organizer, camera, and much more. The best things blur the lines.
Hinge is no different. As I’ve begrudgingly admitted in previous articles, if you’re avoiding online dating, you’re avoiding a growing contingency in the realm of “meeting someone”. But if you’re resorting to only using online dating then you’ve done the equivalent of buying Peek Mobile (http://www.amazon.com/Peek-Mobile-Email-Device-Gray/dp/B001FC0BWE), the first, only, and last email only phone. As I said earlier to play basketball and only shoot three pointers, is asinine, but to play basketball and completely ignore the three point line is equally as dumb. So the approach to “meeting someone” should be well rounded like a good sports team. It should involve going out, and meeting people at your favorite bar, or event. It should also include meeting some people through friends. And lastly it should definitely include some attempt at online dating. The balance and weight you give to each is really dependent on your personality, but being rigid and thinking the only way you might meet someone would be through a friend, because its the most respectable way, is just backwards thinking now. But Hinge has blurred the lines. Hinge is simple, in such a way that you’ve already been doing what Hinge will do for you, except it handles all the administrative work. Hinge uses Facebook to connect you to your friends, and your friend’s friends. It uses your location to help send you people that are near you from your extended peer group. It works like that old website of Hot or Not, however there’s twist. All your responses are anonymous, unless of course the magical occurrence of your response matching up with one of your friend’s friend’s response happens. Then Hinge will send you both messages informing you of your attractiveness roulette victory. Honestly at first whim it sounds a bit creepy, but so did Facebook, and I predict this will have a similar expansion of users. At first people will avoid it and claim to be above the “shallow” nature of it all (isn’t all dating on an initial level a bit shallow?), then people will be defeated and will begin secretly using it, never admitting it openly to anyone, and then a few success stories later and people will be full blow using it out in the open on a regular basis. Hinge is brilliant in my book. We’ve all caught a random pic of a friend and see someone in that pic that catches our eye. We then “smoothly” ask what their “deal” is hoping our friend catches on, and takes the hint and introduces us to them. The middle man is now removed. And it takes the concept of “meeting someone” through someone else you know and expedites it. This isn’t grindr, you’ll still have to message someone and attempt to meet up. But it just expands the possibilities. All the while giving you something to do while waiting for the train that’s delayed cause someone decided to pull the emergency brake.
Hinge isn’t available everywhere, but I test drove it through a little hacking. I simply put in a Washington DC zip code upon logging in, which it asks you for anytime you log in. Right now DC is the only place its available but it’s being released in the next month to a bunch of other major cities. This is my warning to you to jump on it and meet someone before it becomes passe.
About Matt Cargile
Matt Cargile is the Editor in Chief of rookerville.com. He also works in finance, but refuses to read any news printed on pink paper. He is a child at heart with adult means. His childhood dream was to either become a magician or the leader of the next great empire and somehow both these things make complete sense. He's contradictory in nature, but is always consistent.
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