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Comment by choward | Hacker News Reader

$4.99 a week has to be a joke, right? $20 a month is about double what I pay for Netflix and half of my phone bill. Just to send messages to people? I'm sure the article is leaving things out but as of right now I don't get this at all.

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I'm actually not sure its enough. It looks like the only play this service has is the "country club" model. You're not paying $5/week to get in, you're paying it to keep the people who can't/won't pay that much out.

The question I'd really like to find out the answer to is will average net trolls pay real money to troll?

I bet this turns into a casual sex hookup app. Put out there you're interested and see what you get back.

I had the same reaction. Not trying be a jerk, but this article sounds like a sponsored post, or something on the company's blog. I know it's not, but I've noticed this a lot in regular journalism these days, and as you mention it feels like the article is leaving a lot out. As is I can't figure out what problem this solves or, even if it is a good idea, how the features couldn't just be copied by Facebook.

> Just to send messages to people?

That's not what they're selling people. They're selling people a solution to loneliness.

>They're selling people a solution to loneliness.

I'll one up you, they are selling hope. Odds are this will be seeded with a bunch of bots, and these lonely people may or maynot get some sense of temporary relief thinking they are interacting privately with someone else, when its really just a bot.

Oh yeah, you're absolutely right. I don't think they can deliver on what they're promising.

I know its unfair and maybe even disparaging, especially my suggestion they would seed their own thing with bots...but the reality is the social network/SV startup well has been poisoned and so it would be my (our) own fault not to approach these things with a ton of skepticism.

>Today, a new social app is launching. Called Friended...Friended has raised a $500K seed round from investors...

That is what it is all about.

That business model already exists, in the form of online dating sites:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/09/25/ftc_match_fake_user...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good

High price doesn't necessarily indicate a Veblen good. The best case for it not being a Veblen good is that its difficult to showcase status to the people who aren't subscribers, unlike a an expensive iPhone/purse/etc.

I'll agree it's a lot, but I wouldn't compare it to Netflix, Tinder is probably a closer comparable. Our pricing is also quite high, justification to employees who felt our price was too high is that content creation platforms, or platforms where users engage with the content are able to charge more than content consumption platforms where the content is a commodity for the most part.

Half your phone bill? Wow. Granted I have 3 people one the plan bit I'm more like 7x the monthly fee

I spend $10 on my phone (prepaid) which is usually enough for 3-4 months :)

Yeah, I don't make many calls, usually I just ring someone that I'm there or schedule a meeting.

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