"Peeple" or "Yelp for humans" CEO on Dr. Phil [Update 2, 10/17/15]

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Elvis Starburst

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"Character is Destiny"

In a bout of surprising news, under the idea of being a "positivity app," Peeple, subtitled "Character is destiny," is an app that will allow you to post a review about people. Exactly like Yelp does for restaurants and businesses. In fact, that has been the touted tagline for many other news posts. Founder Julia Cordray and co-founder Nicole McCullough have since received 50k of government funding since the app's creation, and the company's share values have already been listed at $7.6 million.


"The Peeple app allows us to better choose who we hire, do business
with, date, become our neighbours, roommates landlords/tenants, and teach our children. There are endless reasons as to why we would want this reference check for the people around us."

So, how does it work? If you manage to get your hands on someone's phone number, you will be able to create a profile for someone (Yes, for them without their knowledge), and that person will receive a text message saying an account under their name will be made. But what if someone does not wish to have an account made for them? Too bad, there's no ability to opt out. What about reviews? Those can't be deleted either.

So, that sounds like a problem. Not to worry, only positive reviews (3-stars and above) will be posted right away. Negative ones will not show for un-claimed profiles, and claimed profiles have 48 hours to "work it out" with the reviewer to turn it into a positive one. Let's not even get into how this can be abused. In order to quell the flames, reviewers must have a Facebook 6 months old, and must post the review under their real name.

That, of course, isn't enough to stop concerned users taking to the app's Facebook page and showing their distaste for the app itself. Since then, the app's page has been gaining a lot of negative feedback, bringing out a response from the co-founders, saying they have heard the users "Loud and clear." Though, there's no telling whether or not they'll change the app's terms and rules based on this feedback.

This sounds like a legal nightmare. Got angry with your ex? Post a 3 star review and tear him a new one. Bothered someone on the Internet? Get your information stolen, and wait for the flames to start burning under your feet as review after review comes to your (Hopefully un-claimed) profile and watch it burn. What about that really important job you wanted to be hired for? Your name could be found via Peeple, and they could decide to not hire you based on all the lovely things people who hate you put there, which, again, cannot be removed. I smell a rat. And that rat is infested with personal information gathering.

Peeple's website
Peeple's Facebook page
Informational piece via The Guardian

Update

In a rather surprising move (But not really), Julia Cordray has taken herself to the internet in response to the backlash. She claims the app will now be 100% positive. No 48 hour timer, no reviews made without your explicit permission, and no negativity. So, now it's just going to be an app where we rave about people, and let said people allow this reviews to appear. Great...? Doesn't seem very useful for much now. I kind of wish it was still a mess. Then we could've seen lawsuits fly out of lawyer's asses.

The Peeple Facebook and other social media accounts have since been removed or set to private, as well as the official website being taken down. So, one must wonder if it was indeed a hoax, or, Julia simply couldn't handle the backlash and backpeddled. Regardless, she seems intend on launching the app with the changes made.

Her response via LinkedIn

Update 1.5
Peeople founder Julia Cordray is scheduled to appear on an episode of Dr. Phil to "set the record straight" with his help. The episode will air this Friday. After the changes made to the app's structure, its release date was bumped to October 12th. But as of right now, the website has not changed this description, seeing as the app has not released yet.

I will update the thread to Update 2 after the episode airs, and more information comes to light from its content.

Dr. Phil episode scheduling via CBC

Update 2
Julia Cordray went on Dr. Phil yesterday, and it seems even Dr. Phil had some ideas of what to say to her. 'You can't possibly be that naive' days Dr. Phil during the interview, in response to Cordray's surprise at the backlash her app gained.

See the corresponding video and more here via Calgary Herald
 

DefunctTheory

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Mar 30, 2010
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It seem Peeple's actual website (forthepeeple.com) is either dead or has been taken down.

In any case... this is literally the worst internet thing I've seen in years, since it is, from its very core, a giant troll engine, designed with the express purpose of grinding the 'peeple' in between its massive gears. I thought the fact that facebook was being used to hire and fire people was bad, but this is even worse, since its essentially other peoples behavior thats being judged under your name.

The Peeple app allows us to better choose who we hire,
do business with, date, become our neighbours,
roommates landlords/tenants, and teach our children.
There are endless reasons as to why we would want this
reference check for the people around us.
No. No No No No NO NO NO NO NO. You do not use world wide, public forum opinions posted by people with unverifiable objectiveness, questionable motives, and sourceless claims to make any decisions, especially business ones.

If this becomes a thing, we are all fucking screwed. And I'm going to start using a fake name for everything not related to government or work place paperwork.

Captcha: who am i. I am George Davion. That's my 'name' from now on.
 

Jack Action

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Sep 6, 2014
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This is... fucking horrifying. Facebook was one thing, but this? At least you have some measure of control over facebook, tiny though it may be.
 

Hoplon

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Mar 31, 2010
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As I said else where, I think I spotted a flaw in the "don't get sued in to the stone age" part of their business plan.

there is no way this would not be horribly abused they way they are setting it up.
 

Redlin5_v1legacy

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Aug 5, 2009
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This is real?

...

This is real.



I thought this was an Onion article in the beginning. THAT'S NEVER A GOOD SIGN
 

JoJo

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The people behind this app must be among the most naive in the known universe if they don't realise it will be God's gift to cyberbullies and harassers. I mean, there's no way realistically they can check the accuracy of claims made over the Internet, so either there will be no negative reviews allowed ever or it will be exploited, full stop. Not sure how it'll go down in other jurisdictions but here in the UK, this is going to be a walking target for libel charges. It'll all end in tears, mark my words.
 

GrumbleGrump

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Elvis Starburst said:
"Character is Destiny"

In a bout of surprising news, under the idea of being a "positivity app," Peeple, subtitled "Character is destiny," is an app that will allow you to post a review about people. Exactly like Yelp does for restaurants and businesses. In fact, that has been the touted tagline for many other news posts. Founder Julia Cordray and co-founder Nicole McCullough have since received 50k of government funding since the app's creation, and the company's share values have already been listed at $7.6 million.

So, how does it work? If you manage to get your hands on someone's phone number, you will be able to create a profile for someone (Yes, for them without their knowledge), and that person will receive a text message saying an account under their name will be made. But what if someone does not wish to have an account made for them? Too bad, there's no ability to opt out. What about reviews? Those can't be deleted either.
OH GOD

Who the fuck thought this was a good idea? The office dog?
 

kris40k

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Feb 12, 2015
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While I can't say this is the worst thing I've ever heard of recently (being that I was just in a thread discussing genocide), its up there. I'm in the same boat as others thinking, "Who in there right mind thought of this and said, 'Yeah, this is a good idea! What could go wrong?'."
 

KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime

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Jan 12, 2010
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Well here's an app that just screams I want to experience a "class action lawsuit", right at the top of it's lungs. Here lets make doxxing and harassing people super easy, with no thought for people's privacy, in fact lets just say fuck people's privacy. The person, or people behind this are going to get crucified.

This is especially bad because hate groups are going to use it to make false claims about people of racial minorities, LGBTIQ+, and so on... Calling those people things like pedophiles and such in attempt to get people they hate just based on race/creed/religion/sexuality/gender identity/etc killed. As a trans person this is terrifying news being waved in front of my eyes, because it takes a whole lot less than a claim of pedophilia to get a trans person beaten, raped, or/and killed, in fact often all it takes is being outed. The first person this service gets killed, should get everyone working for this service charged with criminal negligence at the very least. Because this service is gonna get someone killed, probably many someones, that is if it launches before governments shoot it down. Because this service is also going to be very very bad for the careers of politicians.
 

vallorn

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Nov 18, 2009
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Redlin5 said:
This is real?

...

This is real.



I thought this was an Onion article in the beginning. THAT'S NEVER A GOOD SIGN
I thought that Taco was having us on... THE END IS NIGH!

Good fucking god this idea is terrible in every way...
 

Jadak

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Obvious objections aside, I see some real uses for this. For example, In the past I'd considered making a review site for local rental properties (student housing/apartments, etc..) In addition to rating the actual property, you'd be able to rate the landlords. Something like this would save on that aspect of development and instead link to their 'peeple' profile.

Certainly weird to just go about rating people you meet though...
 

Stryc9

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Nov 12, 2008
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Oh, I can't think of any reason why this is a bad idea at all. 100% great idea here.
 

Sleepy Sol

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Feb 15, 2011
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This is how the world ends. Not by the birth of the Antichrist, or the planet colliding with an asteroid, nor a nuclear apocalypse.

No, it shall end with Peeple.

Seriously though, -10/10 idea. Sounds ridiculously awful.
 

Dazzle Novak

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Sep 28, 2015
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Could they at least choose a slightly less well-intentioned, but ironically dystopian motto than "Character is Destiny"?

Captcha: I am Captcha!

Great. Now Captcha is emphatically self-aware. We're looking at a Skynet-Brave New World situation, folks. Thanks to your need to quantify and commodify human interaction, I'll be human-chattel #5296756 with a three-star review on Peeple for "lack of enthusiasm toward his enslavement". Wake up, Sheople!
 

an annoyed writer

Exalted Lady of The Meep :3
Jun 21, 2012
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KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime said:
Well here's an app that just screams I want to experience a "class action lawsuit", right at the top of it's lungs. Here lets make doxxing and harassing people super easy, with no thought for people's privacy, in fact lets just say fuck people's privacy. The person, or people behind this are going to get crucified.

This is especially bad because hate groups are going to use it to make false claims about people of racial minorities, LGBTIQ+, and so on... Calling those people things like pedophiles and such in attempt to get people they hate just based on race/creed/religion/sexuality/gender identity/etc killed. As a trans person this is terrifying news being waved in front of my eyes, because it takes a whole lot less than a claim of pedophilia to get a trans person beaten, raped, or/and killed, in fact often all it takes is being outed. The first person this service gets killed, should get everyone working for this service charged with criminal negligence at the very least. Because this service is gonna get someone killed, probably many someones, that is if it launches before governments shoot it down. Because this service is also going to be very very bad for the careers of politicians.
Damn right. I, like you am trans, and this deeply scares me. And as the unpopular kid in school for pretty much my entire life, this only adds to that fear. Hell, I avoid facebook for this very reason... this is only giving more tools to those who wish nothing to make other people's lives worse. The fact that it's gotten government funding only makes it more.. disturbing.

MarsAtlas said:
Is the person who made this a masochist or do they just want to live off of ramen noodles and saw dust for the rest of their life?
Yes. The answer is simply Yes.