Spoonr

Spoonr (formerly Cuddlr) was a social-meeting application where strangers who live within walking distance from each other could meet up for casual, platonic cuddling.

Spoonr
Operating systemiOS, Android
TypeSocial discovery
Websitewww.spoonr.com

Overview

Users could send nearby prospective cuddle partners an invitation to cuddle, which the fellow users could either choose to accept or decline within 60 minutes. The application provided real-time walking directions to cuddle partners, allowing them to meet up, either in a private or public setting. Unlike Tinder, the age of all users (and, potentially, gender) was omitted. Additionally, users were rated by previous cuddle partners according to their cuddling techniques and spooning preferences, their communication skills and their ability to respect boundaries. These ratings, which acted as a safety measure, were then made available to all Spoonr users.[1]

History

Cuddlr was launched on September 18, 2014.[2] The app was founded by Charlie Williams,[3] an American who now lives and operates out of England. Williams, a software engineer and founder of Charlie Roberts Williams Ltd., previously helped develop Shazam, a popular application that offers music identification services. Williams studied at Northwestern University in the United States and at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.[4] The concept behind the application is said to have started as a joke at a dinner party, and was further developed once a need for such an app was identified.[5] Cuddlr’s design was overseen by Jeff Kulak,[3] a Montreal-based graphic designer and illustrator.[6] Its media relations were managed by Damon Brown[3] who operates out of San Diego and is a professional speaker and author of fourteen books. Brown has a masters in Magazine Publishing from Northwestern University and sits on the board of the American Society of Journalists and Authors.[7]

In September 2015 Cuddlr was acquired by Hiplex LLC, an NYC-based company, and rebranded as Spoonr. [8]

Reception

Cuddlr has been featured on Tech Times,[9] Cosmopolitan,[10] BBC News,[11] and more. The application has been subject to numerous critiques. According to Alex Sevigny, a Canadian communications 'expert' at McMaster University, for CBC Hamilton, the app commodified intimacy and made a private activity public.[12] Kate Bellamy, a journalist from Metro News UK, criticized the app for encouraging people to disrespect personal boundaries, which could supposedly potentially affect the lives of non-users as well.[13] UWIRE wrote that only people desperate for human touch would turn to technology to fulfill this human need with a stranger, and that, therefore, the application was supposedly unsafe.[14]

As of March 16 2015 Cuddlr reported that it shut down, stating "Cuddlr closes up shop and wishes you all the best".

As of September 2015, the application returned to the App Store and Google Play, rebranded as Spoonr.

As of January 2017 Spoonr has officially shut down.[15]

See also

References
  1. "Tinder for cuddling: This app will find you a random stranger to spoon". salon.com. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  2. "New Cuddlr App Working to Change Cuddling Connotation". SF Weekly. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  3. "Cuddlr". cuddlrapp.com. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  4. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cwcwcw
  5. "A New App Will Find You a Stranger to Cuddle With". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  6. "About". jeffkulak.com. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  7. "Damon Brown speaking engagements". Damon Brown speaking engagements. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  8. "Cuddlr App Acquired by Hiplex, Rebrands As Spoonr". Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  9. "New app Cuddlr is the Tinder for cuddle buddies". Tech Times. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  10. "A New App Will Find You a Stranger to Cuddle With". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  11. "BBC News – The smartphone app that helps you hug a stranger". BBC News. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  12. "Want to cuddle? There's an app for that: Meet Cuddlr". cbc.ca. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  13. "Keep your hugs – the new Cuddlr app sounds seriously creepy – Metro News". Metro. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  14. "Academic OneFile – Document". galegroup.com. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  15. https://twitter.com/spoonrapp/status/821766295842652162
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.