We also think it just makes sense, and is more similar to the interactions you have in real life every day.
We know forcing a like won’t entirely eliminate this behavior, but we think it will help. One thing you’re not in control of, though: now we’re having all members like someone before they can message them.* Why? Strangely, there are people on OkCupid who message random people to tell them things like, “I would never date a woman with children,” or “I can’t believe you voted for Donald Trump!” While these messages only make up a small percentage of the interactions on OkCupid every day, we want to cut them out completely. We know this maybe changes how you’ve been using OkCupid, and since we want you to be in control, you can reset your passes at any time in settings. You never know! It can be worth giving someone a second look after some time has passed. Or maybe you’ve decided that you are willing to date a lawyer or a distant cousin. Maybe they’ve added a pic with their dog, or bettered themselves at a local dog-grooming school. So that person you passed on may pop up again, and you can re-assess. We will recycle your passes as the number of people visible diminishes. This does not mean, however, they’ll be gone forever. When you swipe left you’re letting us know you’re not interested in this person, and don’t want to see them again, on DoubleTake and in Search. Passing in DoubleTake works the exact same way. You will no longer see that person on the Search page. If you don’t like someone or don’t want to see them again for the foreseeable future, just press it. You’ve probably seen a new button on profiles: the pass button.