Brace yourself. I am about to abuse quotation marks so hard it will make your head spin.
You see, after working in the dating world for as long as I have, i've become quite frustrated with the smoke and mirror resources that many single gay men have fallen victim for. Between so called dating apps, websites created out of litigation and half baked attempts at content, the gay dating landscape was looking pretty bleak.
Let's start with the biggest offender, the words "Gay Dating App"
Apps like Grindr, Scruff and Jack'd all hit the gay dating scene with such promise. But, while marketing themselves as "dating app's" in the beginning, single gay men were quick to conclude that they are anything but a resource for "meaningful" connections. Between the headless torso's and aggressive / x-rated one liners, gay men were often left to believe that there would be no future for gay relationships in technology.
Enter Chappy. The first gay dating app that in my opinion calls bullshit on all it's predecessors.
From the get go, Chappy delivers what many gay men have been demanding from the market for quite some time: choice, focus and respect.
What's Your Relationship Mood?
Chappy is about choice! The app recognizes that users will change their minds from time to time as to what they are seeking, so why not cater to their mood. Whether its the college student coming into his own, or a mid-30's young professional who is definitive of what he wants, the Chappy "Moods Scale" allows them to search accordingly.
Mr. Right is for the guy seeking romance, a quality contender, someone that they explore a serious relationship with. Mr. Right Now is for the guy seeking something more imminent, it could be a drink or coffee date that day, or it could be someone just seeking something more casual. Mr. Who Knows is for the indecisive, or people who are completely open to what they are presented with. It also allows the user to see all prospects with their color indicators, that way they can match with both Mr. Right and Mr. Right Now and they can make their own call.
Get The Respect You Deserve!
Chappy is all about creating a safe space for the user. This is something they and sister app. Bumble have been working hard to not only build into their company culture, but also the user experience.
I recently wrote an article about an interaction my girlfriend had on Bumble and I was very impressed with the way they handled it. That's the kind of respect I am looking forward to seeing at Chappy.
So let's talk safety..
Chappy has many safety features in place that I am impressed with. Once downloaded the user must register and onboard with their personal Facebook account. Chappy then asks for access to your Facebook profile and tagged photos, that way you don't have to search through you photo gallery on your device. The user can easily upload photos of themselves from their device photo gallery, however inappropriate photos are moderated and blocked. Chappy's photo moderation prevents inappropriate photos from appearing on profiles. Nudity, drug use, and other inappropriate images / behavior are flagged and notification is sent to that user reminding them of Chappy's posting guidelines.
If a user experiences this or any other abusive tone, Chappy says, "Don't even try it!" They promote the use of their block and report feature. Chappy moderators are immediately alerted, they then notify the abusive user.
Goodbye headless torsos with yawn-tastic x-rated messages. It's been real.
We all know I don't get very excited about many dating app's, so when I see a good one, I do what I can to support a company that I feel can be good for the dating space and of course deserving gay singles.
For my very last quotation abuse of the day, I give you this final thought: "You deserve better"
Download Chappy today! For more about Chappy, click here.
David Cruz, III
David is the Founder and Creative Director of Finding Cupid. He has been writing about Dating & Relationships for the last five years and is a contributor to Huffington Post, Frontiers Media, Your Tango and many other publications. David can often be found in the greeting card aisle searching for the ultimate love card, or a bakery making bad decisions for himself.
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Twitter & Instagram: @DavidCruzTMM
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