CS 371A Social Media and Social Life

Beginning with the background of the inner working of Coffee Meets Bagel, their workshop primarily runs using Amazon Web Services. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a platform that provides cloud computing services and API’s to individuals or companies that require them to run their application. It acts as the foundation of Coffee Meets Bagel by providing them with the tools required for their software to run. The Coffee Meets Bagel workshop also occasionally uses the Google Cloud Platform for its cloud computing and API related requirements, but AWS is used the majority of the time. As for the mobile software that is required for their mobile-only platform to run, it uses Swift and Objective C to run on Apple’s iOS, and Java to run on Android OS.  As for the User Interface Arrangement, the application incorporates a relaxing purple on white colour scheme, with the main focus of the interface being on the pictures of the user's potential matches. There are three central buttons near the...

  Interaction and communication on Coffee Meets Bagel is very unique, and in comparison to other dating platforms, it gives each user an opportunity to express themselves and their interests in a number of categories, all in which are important for the success of a good relationship in the eyes of CMB. Each user is recommended to post around five pictures of themselves, and identify over a dozen of categories including location, height, ethnicity, religion, job title, and other information about themselves, their interest and what their plans for the future. Although it might seem like some of the categories are a bit personal, they do not necessarily need to all be answered, it simply helps CMB match people with the same views. The only private category is gender, although you do disclaim it, on the app when signing up, for CMB it is considered as private information to ensure no one feels excluded. Couldry and Hepp’s theory of ‘communication as construction’ helps explain communi...

       The culture portrayed in Coffee Meets Bagel is one that acknowledges online dating as a community. CMB also ensures to remind their users that they are not alone and that CMB is always there for support. They do this by repeatedly letting users know that CMB employees too have had their own struggles with online dating, leading up to the creation of CMB. The supportive atmosphere that they portray is not only seen in the language they use when assisting users to sign up, but in their Blog section that supports users with all topics regarding dating, specifically online dating. These blogs are written by a variety of people; from CMB employees to field professionals, and ordinary users who have a story to tell. The blog sections are divided into various subcategories, some are based on locations, testimonies, logistics of the app, and LGBTQ+ dating. To give some examples, in the locations subcategories, CMB asks local users as well as CMB employees to share dat...

       Governance is enabled through standard Terms of Service and informally by encouraging users to behave in ways that align with the ideal forms of user Coffee Meets Bagel is targeted at. The platform through which the app is delivered acts as a governance mechanism, including app store terms or the legal status of the app's activity. When accessing Coffee Meets Bagel from the app store, you must agree to the rights and terms of the app. This means you may not run a copy of the app for your non-commercial purpose, and you may not copy the app. Coffee Meets Bagel has the right to update their agreement at any time, and they will do so by posting the revised agreement on the site or App Store. In terms of the Actor-Network Theory (A.N.T), the concept differentiates between intermediaries and mediators, either human or non-human. Intermediaries pass meaning along unchanged throughout a network of relations, while mediators are transformative – they alter the meaning...

              An app's governance involves how the app provider manages and regulates user activity to sustain their operating model and fulfill their vision (Herman, 2021). Governance is reflected in Coffee Meets Bagel's rules and guidelines, which place regulations on the types of users allowed on the app and their kind of activities. When first using the app, there are several things Coffee Meets Bagel wants to put out in the open. One must be 18 to use the service, create an account for their actual, truthful self, and understand that Coffee Meets Bagel does not guarantee anything about their services, nor do they conduct background checks or identify the identity of their users. Governance expands from simply managing user activity to implementing norms and values. By signing up for Coffee Meets Bagel, you agree not to post inappropriate content, information about a third party, or advertise any product or service. In a...

  Coffee Meets Bagel operates using a freemium business model for their revenue stream. In the freemium business model, users pay nothing to download and use the app and are offered optional in-app purchases for premium features, additional content, or digital goods. By utilizing a freemium business model, The Coffee Meets Bagel cost of a basic membership is free, however, Revenue generation involves a variety of in-app purchases. An example of an in-app purchase that contributes to the revenue stream of coffee meets bagel is through digital currencies. Additionally, they utilize a paid premium subscription to add to their revenue stream. Members that buy into their premium membership gain access to certain features and services by paying a monthly sum. To date, Coffee Meets Bagel has raised approximately $31 million in private equity funding across multiple rounds of series A and Series B funding from venture capital firms. Startup companies like CMB receive Series A Funding when ...