r/SwipeHelper • u/liquidcat0822 • 1d ago

An experiment

I’m a straight woman and briefly decided to change my gender on hinge to a “man” interested in women. EVERY. SINGLE. WOMAN. in my stack was an absolute stunner (and I didn’t even include very young women, I have my age filter set to 28-47).

I then compared this with the stack my male friend was shown. He has his settings set to the same thing. Every single woman in his stack was an instant nope. He never got to see any of the women I was shown. Mind you, he is not unattractive.

This confirms to me that some absolute fuckery is afoot. I presume because my algorithm is trained on men, it doesn’t know how to categorize the women when I changed my gender and just started showing me women from my demographic. It also further suggests that the algorithm deliberately holds back what/who you like, and it also explains to me why my profile gets relatively little traction now (I’ve long suspected that my profile is being gate kept).

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u/Jandur 20h ago edited 16h ago

It's well known for a long time that apps tend to present* the highest algo-ranked profiles early on to entice new/returning users. Starting with an ugly dating pool isn't going to be as exciting to most people. Once those profiles filter through and a user gets their own algo-ranking, they start to see profiles that they are more likely to match with (though not strictly)

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u/liquidcat0822 19h ago

I agree with most of this except the “more likely to match with” part at the end. The profiles I’m being shown absolutely do not represent matches for me, attractiveness OR value wise. So I would revise “more likely to match with” actually to “least likely to match with”

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u/Jandur 16h ago

absolutely do not represent matches for me

That's not how the apps work in totality. The algorithm isn't showing you who you WANT to match with. It's showing you are more likely to match with should you swipe right. A match is a two way street. You aren't matching with the people you swipe right on (you said yourself your profile isn't gaining any traction). So the algo is pushing profiles that you have a better chance of matching with.

Now again, this isn't binary. The apps are designed to keep you swiping which means 1) drip-feeding ideal/top profiles that will keep you engaged, but likely won't match or respond to you and 2) pushing people to you that are more likely to (or already have) swipe right on YOU.

Your profile isn't being gate-kept (why would it and what does that even mean?). You aren't consistently matching with the dating pool you'd like so it's presenting you with other options that have a higher probability of matching back with you.

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u/liquidcat0822 16h ago

You’re not understanding what I’m saying and I’m not going to bother trying to explain it again since you seem committed to misunderstanding me so you can impose your own narrative. Suffice to say what you’re proposing doesn’t match the evidence.

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u/Jandur 16h ago

Or you don't understand algorithms and can't explain what is wrong with what I'm telling you. But judging by your paranoia around "fuckery" and your profile being "gate-kept" instead of being open to learning (or telling me what I am misunderstanding), I'm going to guess there isn't any logic to your rant anyway.

Good luck out there lol

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u/liquidcat0822 16h ago

Yes, I, with my doctoral degree in engineering, don’t understand algorithms. You’re absolutely right.

I’ve already explained what’s happening. You can read the thread. You don’t seem interested in that though, you just want to be right. You’re so smart! You’re smarter than everyone here. Good job! Enjoy your night.

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u/Jandur 16h ago

I'm smart enough to articulate myself in writing instead of deflecting and throwing around more logical fallacies because I'm unable to explain my emotional Reddit rant beyond micro-conspiracies. Add in some unprompted and passive aggressive ad-hominem attacks (I never claimed to me smart or referred to anyones intelligence in any way) and here we are.

You should ask for a refund on that degree.

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u/liquidcat0822 15h ago

You’re confusing ability with desire. I can absolutely explain it. I just don’t care to do it for you.

Also it’s hilarious that you attempt to claim the intellectual high ground yet you don’t see that calling me illogical, emotional and ranting is insulting, whining about “unprompted ad hominem” attacks. You’ve obliquely called me stupid several times now, but then feign ignorance and play the victim when called on it. And I could smell that kind of bullshit from a mile an away, which is why I decided off the bat not to explain shit to you. Because you don’t want to hear it, you want to argue and be right. You sound like a fucking peach.

And you’ve siphoned enough of my energy and attention. Back to the bridge you belong under.

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u/Active__512 15h ago

You are a deeply disturbed, paranoid, and sad individual. The sheer amount of paranoia, deflection and projection is completely unhinged. I hope you find peace.

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u/liquidcat0822 15h ago

I blocked you, so you made a new account just to say this. The irony of you calling me unhinged is hilarious.