On the Web, virtually everything comes with a review and a rating, from restaurants and grocers (Yelp), to retail products and books (Amazon), and before the app was shut down, entire neighborhoods (Sketch Factor). Now, a new app wants to introduce the same evaluation system to people.
Peeple, the new iOS app that will allow its users to rate other people both with comments and on a five-star scale, is currently in Beta testing, and is scheduled for release in late November. The stated goal of the app is to enable people to more easily connect with other people who are highly ranked, whether in a personal, professional, or romantic context.
“Peeple will enhance your online reputation for access to better quality networks, top job opportunities, and promote more informed decision making about people,” reads a description of the app on its website.
The creators envision a future where searching for qualified people to meet is as simple as looking up a highly rated restaurant. “You can search with the nearby tab to discover people within a 10-mile radius that have a 4.6 overall star rating.”
The concept of rating other human beings on a searchable database isn’t new, although Peeple’s scope makes it the largest incarnation of that idea yet. Since 2011, women have been able to anonymously rate and review men on the Lulu app. The app has racked up hundreds of millions of views, but its reach was greatly curtailed last year when it made it mandatory for men to opt-in to the app before they were rated.
