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riddles >> general problem-solving / chatting / whatever >> online dating using artificial game markets
(Message started by: amichail on Jun 6th, 2006, 5:58pm)

Title: online dating using artificial game markets
Post by amichail on Jun 6th, 2006, 5:58pm
What do you think of using artificial game markets for online dating?

Players would make match making proposals by investing in stocks that represent proposed couples.

If the pairing works out well (e.g., as determined through the extent of contact through the service between them), you get rewarded.

How would this compare to social networks (e.g., friendster, orkut, etc.)?

Title: Re: online dating using artificial game markets
Post by towr on Jun 7th, 2006, 12:18am
One of the problem with stock-market like games is the formation of bubbles.
People might match incompatible people, raising the stock of their pairing, and everyone else jumps in to join and get some 'profit', blowing up the matching to rediculous height, untill eventually it burst and everyone is left bankrupt.

And what sort of credit do you have in mind for this market game anyway? Does the majority shareholder get the first-born child? :P

Title: Re: online dating using artificial game markets
Post by amichail on Jun 7th, 2006, 12:52am

on 06/07/06 at 00:18:23, towr wrote:
One of the problem with stock-market like games is the formation of bubbles.
People might match incompatible people, raising the stock of their pairing, and everyone else jumps in to join and get some 'profit', blowing up the matching to rediculous height, untill eventually it burst and everyone is left bankrupt.

And what sort of credit do you have in mind for this market game anyway? Does the majority shareholder get the first-born child? :P


I have not worked out the details, but I believe that real money has to be used so that people take it seriously.

Title: Re: online dating using artificial game markets
Post by towr on Jun 7th, 2006, 1:28am
Supposing you get the game in working order.
How do you deal with the 'undesirables', the people that are damn near impossible to match to anyone. Wouldn't near everybody invest in the sure win? The supermodels and actors? Who in their right mind would invest in the lost causes?

Title: Re: online dating using artificial game markets
Post by amichail on Jun 7th, 2006, 1:32am

on 06/07/06 at 01:28:19, towr wrote:
Supposing you get the game in working order.
How do you deal with the 'undesirables', the people that are damn near impossible to match to anyone. Wouldn't near everybody invest in the sure win? The supermodels and actors? Who in their right mind would invest in the lost causes?

I think you would need to track the couple over a long period of time, so that even relative unknowns may become superstars because their relationship is working out really well.  

Title: Re: online dating using artificial game markets
Post by rmsgrey on Jun 7th, 2006, 7:54am
So what happens when you pair up the perfect match, they hit it off, move in together and no longer use the internet to communicate?

Or if a couple pretend to be hitting it off to boost their stocks?

Title: Re: online dating using artificial game markets
Post by amichail on Jun 7th, 2006, 6:54pm

on 06/07/06 at 07:54:35, rmsgrey wrote:
So what happens when you pair up the perfect match, they hit it off, move in together and no longer use the internet to communicate?

Or if a couple pretend to be hitting it off to boost their stocks?

Another method is to base the reward system on whether they get married and also on how long they stay married.

Title: Re: online dating using artificial game markets
Post by towr on Jun 8th, 2006, 12:30am

on 06/07/06 at 18:54:33, amichail wrote:
Another method is to base the reward system on whether they get married and also on how long they stay married.
What sort of measure is marriage though? My brother and his girlfriend have two kids and have been together 12 years or more, and aren't married.

Not to mention that I seriously doubt people want to wait decades for their investment in this game to pay off. And that many participating couples will inevitably drop out. Although I suppose you could pay the couples to stay in touch.
But then, what about fraud?



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