However, we all know that ideally we should, and most of us give it a bloody good go. So when the universe rewards us with an opportunity to do the opposite, it must be grabbed with both hands and cherished like the precious gift it is. New dating app Rivet lets a random group of volunteers pick users’ matches, AKA gives interfering busybodies who think they know best free rein over strangers’ love lives.
I mean, where do I sign up? This is the chance frustrated matchmakers like me have been waiting for, once their supply of single friends has been exhausted (in both senses). Launched last week, Rivet “surfaces a lot of people that you may otherwise swipe past”, explains founder Taru Kapoor, a former Tinder exec.
It tells prospective daters who has been selected for them slowly, a few options at a time: think one or two episodes a week rather than the whole season being available to binge-watch. The idea is that this prioritises quality over quantity and encourages users to take a chance on somebody who isn’t their typical type. In other words, it … let’s say strongly suggests the volunteers’ picks are entertained (again, in both senses).
What’s the point of being nosey and controlling if you’re just going to be ignored? Not to boast – and by “not to” I really mean “not sure I technically can” – but one couple I matchmade got married. Admittedly, they then got divorced, but still, a win’s a win, no matter how fleeting.
That blissful (ish … at points, surely) union is my most successful endeavour in this field – so far! – but I remain enthusiastic and certain that the others didn’t work out only because people don’t know what’s good for them. The memory of the joyful wedding I was pretty much solely responsible for fortifies me and supplies the strength to continue, because being a matchmaker is a largely thankless, nervy business. Deciding the order in which to show the photos of those you want to set up is almost impossible.
There is no way to tell somebody who has approved their match that they have, in turn, been rejected without devastating them, even if you lie your socks off. Also, proffering a picture of the person you’re suggesting they meet – basically indicating their attractiveness level, in your eyes – can be excruciating if it doesn’t correspond with their attractiveness level in theirs. In this game the risks are high, and the rewards rare – but what can I say?
Extract — continue reading at the source.
