The Problem With Internet Dating's Frictionless Market 453
Hugh Pickens writes "Peter Ludlow writes in the Atlantic that the internet has turned the dating marketplace into a frictionless market that puts together buyer and seller without transaction costs. And that's a bad thing. 'Finding a partner used to be expensive, and the market was inefficient. If you lived in a large city, there were always people looking for partners, but the problem was how to find them.' But one advantage of inefficient dating markets is that in times of scarcity we sometimes take chances on things we wouldn't otherwise try while in times of plenty, we take the path of least resistance (someone who appears compatible) and we forgo difficult and prima facie implausible pairings. Another problem with frictionless online markets (PDF) is that assume we know what we are looking for. But sometimes we simply don't know what we are looking for until we stumble across it in a search for something else, says Ludlow. 'The result is often unexpected and beautiful. So it is with relationships; compatibility is a terrible idea in selecting a partner,' concludes Ludlow. 'We often make our greatest discoveries and acquire our greatest treasures when local scarcity compels us to be open to new and better things.'"
lube (Score:5, Funny)
well, lets hope it's as frictionless as possible...inadequate lube leads to broken condoms and accidental babies.
Tell you what, though, (Score:1, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re:lube (Score:5, Funny)
"Customers who viewed this item also viewed: LOTR Narsil Sword"
Re:How is this news? (Score:5, Funny)
I don't understand how this is even /. related news.
Consider the number of young readers who live at their parent's place. Or the number of more seasoned readers who might be divorced, or still single, and aren't going as much as they should.
Re:Meh (Score:5, Funny)
"At a glance" seems awfully superficial, taken at face value.
Re:lube (Score:5, Funny)
The customer reviews are even more disturbing
1.0 out of 5 stars Hazard for cats, December 2, 2011
By Mark A. - See all my reviews
This review is from: Passion Natural Water-Based Lubricant - 55 Gallon (Health and Beauty)
This is a hazard! I've already lost two cats in this thing. There should be a warning sticker or something. I assumed the cats would float, but they sunk like rocks into the lube. And no, it's not what you think. Don't be disgusting. I was trying to create my own cat lube wrestling league. You know, for sickos.
Holy Crap! Mind = Blown! (Score:5, Funny)
I actually RTFA this time, and it blew my mind!
Turns out I had the whole concept of Internet Dating wrong! I've been dating the Internet itself!
mind-gasm
Re:Settle? (Score:5, Funny)
unlimitless pool of choices
you're hurting my brain.
Re:lube (Score:5, Funny)
I'm good. I can make as much lube as I need with xanthan gum and water. Chemistry for the win!
I have no idea why more guys don't try that line.
Re:How is this news? (Score:4, Funny)
This is probably worse than my mother's dog, Chestnut, dying on Christmas eve. That only ruined the one song.
chestnuts roasting on an open fire... jack frost nipping at your nose...
Re:lube (Score:5, Funny)
Funniest thing I've seen in... well, three days, but only because I saw The Room three days ago. Look at these:
It fixes squeaky doors in seconds, makes drawers side in and out and in and out and in and out without fail with a single application. It fits right in the back of my '86 El Camino. I do have a problem with birds falling in and drowning, but using an old pasta strainer duct-taped to an ax-handle is perfect. It has already paid for itself and a custom suspension for my car-truck!
I stole a barrel of this lubricant earlier this week.
The police are, currently, still trying to restrain me.
Pros:
Moist!
Bulk savings!
Very slippery!
Container is easy to roll downhill and is large enough to hold most bodies.
Cons:
Unattractive packaging
Difficult to store
Tastes like paste
Re:One question (Score:4, Funny)
The Frog Princess and the Programmer (Score:5, Funny)
A computer programmer happens across a frog in the road. The frog pipes up, "I'm really a beautiful princess and if you kiss me, I'll stay with you for a week". The programmer shrugs his shoulders and puts the frog in his pocket.
A few minutes later, the frog says "OK, OK, if you kiss me, I'll give you great sex for a week". The programmer nods and puts the frog back in his pocket.
A few minutes later, "Turn me back into a princess and I'll give you great sex for a whole year!". The programmer smiles and walks on.
Finally, the frog says, "What's wrong with you? I've promised you great sex for a year from a beautiful princess and you won't even kiss a frog?"
"I'm a programmer," he replies. "I don't have time for sex.... But a talking frog is pretty neat!"
Re:lube (Score:4, Funny)
So we have a darth vader life sized doll, a big wheel of cheese, an automatic workbench with motorized saw and a barrel of lube.
Possibilities are limitless.
Re:lube (Score:3, Funny)
OMG.
3 left in stock.
2 new.
I don't want to know the person who wants to buy the third drum.
Re:Or just stay single. (Score:4, Funny)
You think so? Well you have a point when it comes to food and power. Some of the negatives are massive toilet paper usage, random blotches of talcum powder everywhere, little strips of plastic from bandaids, extraneous bobbypins in strange places, untold amounts of hair and body products in the shower, lids, even more lids with nothing to put them on, boxes of tissues, a steady stream of magazines that apparently are rarely read, random strands of hair, a collection of fabric softeners, room deodorizing thingies, pillows with frills on them that irritate you enough to wake you, electric blanket settings that are way too hot, peculiar alterations in furniture placement that means you have to re-route all the carefully placed switches and cabling just so you can have the AV on the other side of the room, junk, more junk, then no room for junk, so you throw the first lot of junk out, vases with dying flowers, continual chattering like an overdub from a reality show and maybe a complete disinterest in what you're doing. There's probably more.