What Went Wrong? For iPhone???
There’s an app for that. And today, “that” includes personalized dating advice thanks to “Wot Went Wrong?” a new app that allows users to gather feedback about their dating “skills” (or lack thereof).
Basically, the dumpee uses the app to send the dumper a request for feedback regarding his or her decision to end the relationship. The dumper can then choose from a generic list of “turn offs” (i.e. poor hygiene, incompatibility, lack of physical attraction) and sends these back to the rejected party, in the hopes that his or her “insight” (and the accompanying suggestions for dealing with the selected criticisms) will the dumpee improve his or her chances the next time around.
This video—although rather infuriating in its perpetuation of the “Why hasn’t he called?” trope— explains the whole thing:
WotWentWrong Explanatory Video from WotWentWrong on Vimeo.
When I first read about WotWentWrong, I had your typical octogenarian reaction (“What will they think of next?”) except I’m not an octogenarian, and when I sat back to think about it, I had to admit to myself that I did consider emailing all of the men I’d dated as part of my Great Date Experiment in order to figure out what I’d been doing wrong.
Fortunately I figured it out myself (I was dating the wrong kind of men, over and over again) so I saved myself the embarrassment—but still, I’m pretty darn intrigued by the idea of an app that tells you “wot” went wrong.
In fact, if I knew how to actually install apps on my phone, I totally would have given it a try back in the day.
Then again, it does seem awfully impersonal and kind of alienating. I mean, couldn’t you achieve the same results for free, through an actual conversation? And if the dumper isn’t willing to talk to you for real, what makes you think he or she is going to respond to an automated request?
Would you?
And what would you do if his or her “feedback” seemed totally off the mark? What if it wasn’t something you could do anything about?
Related articles
- My Fake Breakup on WotWentWrong.com (allthingsd.com)
- Love gone wrong? Go digital to get over an ex (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- What Went Wrong? The Date Who Fled (abcnews.go.com)
Kat Echevarría Richter 
6 Responses to “What Went Wrong? For iPhone???”
There’s a great comedy movie from the 80s called “Amazon Women on the Moon.” It is basically a sketch comedy show in movie form with some of the greatest stars of the day. There is a sketch called “Two Forms of ID” that is kind of relevant to this concept.
At the time, I thought it was completely ridiculous, but it seems that WotWentWrong is only one step away from the Couple Compatibility Check.
Personally, I’d rather go with the old-fashioned trial-and-error method myself. How often have you seen the unlikely pairing that just seems to work? How often have you dated someone you wouldn’t have expected to like and ended up liking them? And how do you know that someone’s behavior wasn’t just the result of their own bad dating choices, and they just need the right person to make some good choices?
Anyway, as intriguing as the concept might seem at first glance, I think it is just stupid and downright dangerous.
Kinda creepy to say the least, and why bother? If it’s over and all you have left is communication by an app, I think it is high time for a friend intervention. Kinda pathetic (not the wanting to know, but the means of communication)–eeww.
Seems sort of like trying to get a report card for a class you’ve already failed … this is like the “Amazon”-ing of real life. Do we really need feedback for EVERYTHING?
Granted, while there are relationships where I’d LOVE to tell the guy where he went wrong (particularly my LAST one!), he hasn’t asked, and I’d rather chew glass than offer my opinion. He DID figure out (eventually) that when you’ve broken up with someone, they’re not going to be proofing/reading over your dissertation anymore … just because I was good at it, didn’t mean I was enjoying it. That was apparently a shocker. Whatever. WHAT-evah.
I wouldn’t do it. People can be very mean and take the opportunity to be vindictive (as witnessed by the remarks made regarding the ABC show on bridezillas).
The guys may be heartbroken and would jump at the opportunity to put you down.
Cannot. Possibly. End. Well.
Although there are certainly times when I wish I could tell passed dates that they talked or texted too much, or that I found the way they treated the waiter at a restaurant rudely, I don’t think this is the way to go. Let it go and move on.