Now there's a dating app in Slack. What could possibly go wrong?
You can already do a lot of things in Slack. Set up a meeting. Crack a few jokes with coworkers. But what if you could also find your soulmate?
If Feeld, the dating app that bills itself as a place "where you can meet couples or singles" has their way, you just might. They’ve just unveiled Slack integration that aims to connect people within individual teams. It works by relying on a mutual expression of interest.
You tell the Feeld bot who your crush is, and if they feel the same way, it'll tell you. Then you can start chatting, with the somewhat awkward knowledge that you both like each other enough to mention it to a bot.
AdultFriendFinder — readers’ pick for casual connections
Hinge — popular choice for regular meetups
This is a good idea, in theory. Slack has fast become a big part of many of our lives, and chances are if you’re in a Slack team, it’s filled with other like-minded people. And the way they’ve set it up is relatively low risk. You won’t be so embarrassed that you run from Slack in shame if it turns out your crush doesn’t feel the same way.
But here’s the rub. Slack isn’t just for hanging out, it’s a workplace communication staple. And if you haven’t heard, workplace romances can be radioactive. Sure, we all have our workplace crushes, and there’s plenty of flirting that can go on via Slack.
But that doesn’t mean you want to make it super easy for anyone to act on it in a company-sanctioned forum. (That’s what drunken post-work happy hours are for, duh.) Basically, this is an HR nightmare waiting to happen.
Feeld’s creators obviously sensed there could be some issues, since they spelled out a few dos and don’ts as part of their manifesto. They mention that consent is key, but they also come at some other crucial things with a disturbingly casual tone.
For instance, “Be nice/don't be a D” and “Discrimination sucks.” Oof. Discrimination doesn’t just suck; it’s illegal in many cases, and it’s toxic to any work environment. This maaaaay not end well. In any case, it seems highly unlikely that the admins of most work-related Slacks are going to be super open to adding this in. And that’s as it should be.
For those who Slack recreationally this might be a fun option. (Though can anything ever be more fun than the Giphy integration? No.) There’s also a Feeld Slack you can join if you’re just looking for love.
So go forth and @ your crush. You just might meet your Slackmate.
Cassie Murdoch is Mashable's Culture Editor.. Before coming here, Cassie was Senior Culture Writer at Vocativ. She previously wrote for Jezebel and The Hairpin. Cassie spends most of her time thinking about and consuming cheese in all its glorious forms.
