Bilateral Social Notification System Using Activity Tags
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current social media platforms lack a bilateral notification system, leading to unilateral risks and awkward interactions, as users fear rejection when initiating connections or requests, which can result in embarrassment or discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A social networking system that uses unique identification variables and activity tags, where only matching tags between users trigger notifications, ensuring that both parties must express mutual interest before any notification is generated, thus eliminating unilateral risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a unilateral notification system is used where one user can initiate contact with another, then the ease of operation for initiating connections is improved, but the social risk and potential for awkward rejections increases for the initiating user
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having both users express their interest before any notification is generated. User A expresses interest in User B, and User B expresses interest in User A, both actions are recorded but no notification is sent until both conditions are met. This preliminary bilateral expression eliminates the risk of unilateral rejection while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system acts as an intermediary that mediates between User A and User B. It receives interest expressions from both parties, processes them according to the bilateral matching rule, and only generates notifications when both interests align. This intermediary mechanism protects users from direct rejection while facilitating genuine mutual connections.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a bilateral notification system is implemented where both users must express interest before notification, then the social risk is reduced, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The notification process is segmented into distinct phases: User A expresses interest (phase 1), User B expresses interest (phase 2), system checks for mutual interest (phase 3), and notification is generated only if both interests match (phase 4). This segmentation simplifies the overall system logic by breaking down the complex bilateral matching process into manageable, independent steps that can be implemented through simple database operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses self-service mechanisms where users independently express their own interest without needing to know or coordinate with the other party. Each user's interest expression is autonomously recorded in the database, and the system automatically processes these expressions to determine mutual interest. This self-service approach reduces system complexity by eliminating the need for complex coordination protocols.
3Loss of information
If interest expressions are made visible immediately, then the transparency of the system is improved, but the user comfort and safety are reduced due to fear of rejection
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary interest expressions in private before making any information visible to users. Both User A and User B express their interest in the database without either user knowing about the other's expression. Only after both expressions are recorded and verified as mutual does the system generate visible notifications. This preliminary private expression phase ensures transparency of the matching process while protecting users from premature rejection exposure.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a bilateral social media notification system. In one example, the social network system features the ability for users to have unique identification variables that are searchable. This social networking system also has a series of specific activity tags which may be associated with the unique identifications. Only unique identifications with the same activity tags will be matched and disclosed by the system to ensure no embarrassing rejections occur.