"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
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
