Sunday, November 24, 2013

GaaS and BaaS

As Arlo used to say about Alice's Restaurant...

_aaS as you all know is "_" (fill in the blank) "as a Service".
and GaAs used to be short for Gallium Arsenide (faster than silicon and supports higher power density than silicon for electronic semiconductor electronics chips)

Now you can have an invisible girlfriend as a service.  http://invisiblegirlfriend.com/
Warning: do not go searching for "virtual girlfriend" - that goes to a variety of socially awkward and potentially virus laden sites frequented by -- never mind just don't get that into your google search preferences .  Picture "900-" number for phone(y) relationships and the p0rn industry which is separately alive and thriving (another topic for another day).

Sure it's funny, even clever, and great source for a laugh.  But I think it's a sad commentary on how virtual our modern society has become.   We already know that:
--  Google is making us stupid,  and
--  Facebook makes us lonely.
--  Now the invisible girlfriend empties relationships.
Here we have an online service to handle one of the last bastions of human interaction,  the boyfriend / girlfriend collision that is messy, painful, frightening, makes your heart pound, makes you blush uncontrollably, the interaction that makes you cry at any age, and can make you feel more joy than anything else in the universe.  Now you can have the invisible girlfriend that is acceptable to your parents, coworkers.   The most expensive "level of service" is "almost engaged."

There are probably some functional uses for such a service:  either deflecting unwanted romantic interest at the office (I've already got a girlfriend), or keeping peace at home (really, Dad, I'm not gay, see? she texts me all the time).   Where there is a need, someone will create a service to fill that need.  BaaS is not far behind once this one launches.

It's great to see clever, useful services come online.
This one I fear is leaving the world with just a little less intensity, a little less intimacy, a little less chance for true love.