So if all of this is becoming so seemingly mainstream, why is it being linked to sex offenders? Bizarre links between Grindr and Sex Offender Search can be great starting points for those who recognize nonsensical associations. Such sites, applications, and the practices they make possible are becoming almost downright mainstream: Sharif Mowlabocus wrote a whole book on what he calls "Gaydar Culture" Online Buddies (the makers of Manhunt) partners with academics to conduct innovative world-wide research on online gay male practices and Grindr CEO Joel Simkhai was a panelist this year at SXSW Interactive.
#MANHUNT GAY FREE ON ANDROID ANDROID#
Manhunt, Jack'd, Scruff and Maleforce all have iPhone or Android apps, and sites like, and .uk have been letting gay/bi/curious men filter user profiles by geographic location for years. Grindr isn't unique or new in this respect. You start up the app and immediately see how close other users are and some information about them. How and why was this association being made? What could one application have to do with other? How many potential Grindr users were dissuaded from downloading the application because they saw this listed as a related application? In essence: Who did this linking, how does it work, and what harm is it doing?įor those who don't know, Grindr describes itself as a "simple, fast, fun, and free way to find and meet gay, bi and curious guys for dating, socializing, and friendship." It's one of an emerging set of location-based technologies targeted at gay men looking to socialize, where "socialize" can mean a wide variety of things, including chatting, hooking up to have sex or developing a friendship. There, first on the list, was "Sex Offender Search," a free application created by Life360 that lets you "find sex offenders near you and protect your child.
![manhunt gay free on android manhunt gay free on android](http://www.thegamescabin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/bully.jpg)
![manhunt gay free on android manhunt gay free on android](http://cdn131.picsart.com/278821306000201.jpg)
As I was installing Grindr on my Android phone yesterday, I scrolled down to take a look at the list of "related" and "relevant" applications.