'Yelp for People' App Launches, Here's What You Should Know

[LJ Ellis]

'Yelp for People' App Launches, Here's What You Should Know

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Months ago, the internet was outraged about a proposed app called Peeple that promised to be Yelp for people. Well, it was launched today and here's what you should know.

Peeple [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/peeple/id1008896593] actually does a lot of what you'd expect from an app that touts itself as being the people version of Yelp, although there have been some important changes in the months since the app was announced.

As expected, users can leave reviews and ratings for users in three categories: professional, personal and romantic. For example, you could hypothetically review a former girlfriend (or boyfriend) or look up ratings for a prospective babysitter.

However, there's one important newly-implemented safeguard: users can opt to hide any review or rating. Thus, it's highly unlikely for anything negative to be approved by a user.

So, this app is totally bully-proof and will only serve to be a large, digital group hug, right?

Not so fast.

According [http://calgaryherald.com/technology/internet/controversial-peeple-app-set-for-launch-on-monday] to co-creator Julia Cordray, Peeple plans to launch a paid subscription option called a "truth license" within the next month that will make all reviews and rating visible -- even the negative ones.

How should the average person react to Peeple? One option is to sign up, approve the positive reviews and ratings and hope that the paywall will keep everything else a secret. The other option, of course, is to ignore Peeple and trust that it will never live up to its promise of being Yelp for people.

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[Bob_McMillan]

Hmm...

Yeah, this is gonna turn out SO well.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I for one can't wait for people to sue the shit out of these guys.

 

[Bobular]

The other option, of course, is to ignore Peeple and trust that it will never live up to its promise of being Yelp for people.

I'm going to go for option two here, the type of people who would be interested in an app like this are not the type of people I generally interact with.

 

[MeatMachine]

People can be stupid, but very few people are going to be so stupid as to think that Peeple reviews, positive or negative, would be in any way a reasonable or objective reflection of those who have been reviewed.

It's pretty obvious to anyone that the only kind of sicko that would participate in this would be cronyist, circle-jerking in-groups looking to form an oligarchy, and vindictive assholes whose pettiness knows no limits.

Still, shame on the creators and backers who totally disregard all morality or social respect, preying on people's insecurities with a paywall bypass for negative reviews. I only wonder if exposing everyone involved onto this very same platform with an avalanche of negative ratings will have any effect on stopping this kind of cancerous, asocial abomination from being replicated in the future. Probably not, given that it was financially supported by a mysterious, unnamed government department that totally probably isn't the NSA doubtfully.

 

[CrimsonBlack]

I will deal with this is a very simple way: I will not download or use the app. Bingo.

 

[shirkbot]

This is, at best, a bad idea with terrible execution.

The whole point of Yelp, and customer reviews in general, is to get a quick, general picture of what you're in for based on the experiences of past customers. You cannot do that if the comments are curated by the business in question and all negative comments are hidden behind a paywall. That's not even getting into the whole slew of ethical issues with rating human beings. Seriously, who thought this was a good idea?

 

[Neverhoodian]

Oh for fuck's sake, this again?!

It's bad enough that corporations and the government collect info about me, now I gotta worry about your average dunderhead with a smartphone as well?!

I for one can't wait for people to sue the shit out of these guys.

One can only hope. Libel suits ahoy!

 

[Callate]

There are bad ideas, and then there are "someone get a stake, a mallet, an axe, some gasoline, matches, and a big bag of salt" ideas.

This is the latter writ large, and I don't think anyone needs me to insult their intelligence explaining why... which just goes to say something about the kinds of people who would let it come this far.

 

[Naldan]

Can't wait for when they will get sued for libel. Especially from outside the US. Constantly.

 

[RJ 17]

It was a bad idea when it was announced, and it's still a bad idea today. Here's hoping it's not long before they get sued out of business.

Actually: here's hoping some random guy just walks up and takes a shit on Julia's lawn, then flips her the bird and says "Put THAT in your fucking review!"

That would be nice. :3

I mean seriously, when even Dr. Phil is telling you you're hilariously, profoundly naive, then you know you're doing something wrong.

 

[busterkeatonrules]

What we are witnessing here is nothing less that the birth of a whole new breed of shitstorm.

I'll get the popcorn!

 

[JoJo]

I'm no legal expert but I have a hunch this would be illegal in the UK under the Data Protection Act, which requires a person's permission for a company to hold identifiable personal data about them. At the very least, you should in theory be able to request any data held about you on this site is deleted. That's not even going into libel..

 

[Parasondox]

I'm no legal expert but I have a hunch this would be illegal in the UK under the Data Protection Act, which requires a person's permission for a company to hold identifiable personal data about them. At the very least, you should in theory be able to request any data held about you on this site is deleted. That's not even going into libel..

The EU will stop this as soon as possible. They already made Google Europe filter their search engine results a bit to protect people who do not wish to have their name and history pop up, this app may get the same treatment. When it comes to human rights (kinda?) and data protection, the EU does have some harsh sayings about it.

Also, well this app will not be abused at all!! Nope. Humans are really kind. Piss of one person and life may not become hell.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Holy cow squids. What a free market we live in today! This would be a bad idea for anybody to go anywhere near. Hopefully this won't last long, otherwise it will attract cunts like Tatum in the shower and stupid people like...ummm, anything distracting really. Oh dear.

 

[Creator002]

No. It's still open to so much abuse, both from the reviewer and the person being reviewed. Hide negative reviews so people get a skewed opinion (without paying) on someone or write unwarranted negative reviews and get a skewed opinion on someone.

EDIT - If the below post is true, then there's less of a problem, but my points still stand.

 

[Jandau]

*snip*

Please, for the love of god, please edit the article and add the fact that the app is opt-in only - you can only get reviewed if you sign up for it first. This thread is going to go downhill fast, and this is the important bit of information that shouldn't be left out.

Don't get me wrong, I still think the app is a terrible idea. But random people won't get massively slandered without their knowledge on the app...

 

[OldNewNewOld]

Isn't there also a third option?
Sue the fuck out of the morons who thought this is a good idea?

 

[Mikeybb]

*snip*

Please, for the love of god, please edit the article and add the fact that the app is opt-in only - you can only get reviewed if you sign up for it first. This thread is going to go downhill fast, and this is the important bit of information that shouldn't be left out.

Don't get me wrong, I still think the app is a terrible idea. But random people won't get massively slandered without their knowledge on the app...

It's a bloody awful idea for an app but you're right, this is an important factor.
I haven't confirmed it myself, but I'll happily take your word on it being true.

I still don't think it's enough to redeem it or make it something I'd ever consider signing up for, but given that people cannot be placed upon it without consent then that's fine by me.
That's the reasonable thing to do.
It's the right thing to do.
Quite possibly will save them from a hell of a lot of legal problems in the future too.

Seems like the problem is over.
Returning to not caring about it can begin.

 

[RJ 17]

*snip*

Please, for the love of god, please edit the article and add the fact that the app is opt-in only - you can only get reviewed if you sign up for it first. This thread is going to go downhill fast, and this is the important bit of information that shouldn't be left out.

Don't get me wrong, I still think the app is a terrible idea. But random people won't get massively slandered without their knowledge on the app...

Pfffft, trying to calm the mob before it gets started? You're no fun!