Reflections and Predictions from the ULTIMATE Hook-Up Tech by Mark Tolman, former Manhunt developer

When I was young I saw a movie called “Logan’s Run”.  After the black-clad police officer completed his day of chasing and killing citizens of the domed city whose only crime was being over 30 years old (yikes!), he retired to his swanky apartment for some rest and recreation.  He picked up a box and turned a few dials (pretty advanced for 70’s tech.)  A few seconds later, an attractive and obviously gay man appeared in an alcove.  He wasn’t to the officer’s liking so he fiddled with the dials some more until he found someone he liked.  This scene impacted me on many levels.  Coincidently the device he used was called “the circuit”.

Over the thirty some odd years since that movie had been made, we’ve come closer and closer to fulfilling its (and my) dream of dial-up sex partners on demand.  With every new technology someone has found a way to use it so people can meet and hookup for casual sex.  From personal ads in print news papers to today’s smart phones, the goal is always the same - to provide people with the means to connect.

A lot of people began their love affair with technology with the phone lines.  Dial a 1-900 number, listen to some messages, and make a date.  Simple enough, but I never got into them.  I’m too visual a person for phone based hook ups, and sadly many gay men look like Tarzan but sound like Jane.  Luckily fate conspired to put me in a position to change all that.  It was the start of the millennium and I was working for an Internet start up looking to take advantage of the increasingly popular World Wide Web.  I was the geek charged with the task of making Manhunt work.  It was a labor of love, and several of the best years of my career.

In addition to the positive aspect of providing people with an easy way to meet like minded sex partners, sites like Manhunt had a negative impact of the social lives of gay men.  When Manhunt would start marketing in a new city, the club scene in that city would get decimated.  People would rather stay at home staring at a computer screen than pay for over priced drinks and bottles of water and having to deal with potential rejection face to face.

I’m happy to say that is starting to change with the advent of smart phones.  Smart phones are basically mini hand held computers.  They range from phones with built-in web browsers to full blown systems like the iPhone, Droid, and Nexus One.  Each generation has been better than the last, and they are becoming more ubiquitous every day.  Not to mention more intuitive and easier to use.

I spent New Years Eve in Provincetown, MA this year.  Everywhere we went, people would whip out their cell phones and with their faces a glow from the light from their screens, they would update their Facebook status, tweet about the music, and text message their friends wondering where they were and when they would arrive and what party favors they were bringing.  I’ve heard that some DJs have complained about this phenomenon, and who could blame them.  They spend all that time and energy putting together just the right songs in just the right order and people are on the dance floor just standing there twiddling their thumbs.

The next night, at the Porch Bar, I noticed several people paying special attention to their phones.  They would often show each other their screens.  I was curious and asked them what was so interesting.  They were in the middle of a crowded bar and checking out men on the Grindr iPhone app.

Grindr is an application that runs on either your iPhone or iPod Touch.  It has a simple interface that provides you with photos of men located near you.  It uses your phone’s GPS functionality to identify which of its users are closest to you.  You can send messages, additional photos, and even chat in real time.  One word of warning – Grindr, like most iPhone apps, is “family friendly”.  If you upload a photo with any nudity or sexual content, even the smallest amount of pubic hair or shadow of a butt crack, your account will be booted.  So, keep the photos clean!

While the iPhone is limited to AT&T’s network, Droid and Nexus One are not, and are gaining popularity quickly.  I was not able to find any gay hookup apps for them, yet, but I’m confident someone somewhere is working on one.  I wouldn’t mind the opportunity to get involved with that myself.  Goodness knows I love the cutting edge of technology. 

Even if you’re not into hooking up, technology can still play a role in your love life.  You’d be surprised how much you can learn about a person just by becoming his/her Facebook or DList friend or follower on Twitter.  I recently met a man who was a friend of a friend on Facebook.  In no time at all I learned his favorite place for Sunday brunch, his dog had recently passed, he was into the theater, and a few of his political views.  It made the next time we met a lot easier since I had all these topics about which to talk to him.  I also learned we had several friends in common.  Talk about a small world.

I’m often surprised by the number of my non-geek friends that update their status and/or tweet on a regular basis.  It is a testament to the changing views on technology and the ease of use of the social networking sites.  Of course the downside of this is the TMI factor.  I really don’t need to know what you saw in the tissue when you last blew your nose.  I realize having the flu sucks, and you desperately need to share your pain, but no one needs a blow by blow account.  You really should keep some things to yourself.

Over New Years weekend, for some reason text message updates to Facebook were not getting through from Verizon.  One of my friends, who shall remain nameless, spent hours trying to update her status.  It was almost like withdrawal.  She kept trying over and over, sending one text after another and then checking her Facebook wall for the posting.  Eventually she just decided to update it via her web browser.  I would have expected this behavior from someone like myself, a techno-junkie, but not her.  So, if you’re one of the ten to fifteen people left in the United States that hasn’t signed up for some form of social networking because you thought it was just for geeks, it is time to rethink that idea.  You might meet the love of your life or tonight’s trick du jour.