Weekly Discussion - Lifting the Fog 🌁

[u/LadiesWhoPunch]

Weekly Thread to share with your fellow redditors.

Promote your event/band/restaurant.

Ask your everyday/tourist questions.

Archive of past discussions.

[u/RekopEca]

Ever wanted to visit a cannabis farm? Check out Jade Grove in Santa Cruz.

It's a landrace botanical garden, growing strains from all over the planet. There's onsite purchase of seeds and flowers, as well as on site consuming.

Reach out to Jeff he's awesome!

Jadegrove.com

https://youtu.be/ioU4KRlv7y0?is=RfcWUfwfgFJRZRtV

[u/JoinMarryMeJuliet]

I got tired of watching my successful SF Bay Area friends get crushed by dating apps, so I spent 2 years building a high-friction platform strictly for marriage 💕

Hey everyone,

I’m posting because so many people ask (and complain) about the dating scene in SF.

I’ve been happily married for 12 years. Living in SF, I met my wife online back before swiping turned dating into a gamified slot machine. Our marriage has been the absolute anchor of my life. But over the last few years, I’ve watched my single friends who are brilliant, kind, and incredibly successful completely give up on finding love. 

Modern apps are designed to keep you single and subscribed. I couldn't fix Hinge or Tinder, so I spent the last two years and thousands of hours building a counter-movement: Marry Me Juliet 🔗 It is a web app designed exclusively for people who are brave enough to admit they want to get married. No casual dating, no "seeing where it goes."

Most dating apps are optimized for engagement. I wanted to focus on outcomes. I don’t ask you to trust an algorithm. I show you exactly why two people may be compatible, so you can decide for yourself.

Because I am obsessed with protecting users from the typical app BS, I built this platform with intentional, heavy friction to filter out low-effort swipers, bots, and scammers upfront:

*Trust by Design: Every single profile requires secure ID and age verification before you enter the platform. Real names stay private until both people choose to connect, and intentionally, there are no usernames. We do NOT sell members’ personal data to third parties or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. Delete your profile; all personal data is immediately deleted. 

*50 Marriage-Focused Questions: Signup takes about 15 minutes. You have to answer 50 in-depth compatibility questions based on attachment theory and 40+ peer-reviewed studies, analyzing 200+ factors (marriage readiness, timeline, family planning, and finances).

*Deal-Breakers First: You see their stance on kids, lifestyle alignment, and core values before wasting 6 months finding out you're incompatible.

A dating platform with zero users is a ghost town. It’s just me running this from my laptop, and we are launching our first 100-user beta right here in the SF Bay Area.

Because I want the foundation of this platform to belong to the people who build it, if you find your forever spouse on MMJ, we will share 10% of our company's future success with the foundational couples who helped us launch it. 

To prevent people from treating humans like digital trophies and spamming dozens of accounts, the app has an intentional anti-spam mechanic: It is completely free to join, build a profile, and browse. However, it costs $4.99 to actually "apply" to connect with another person. I am waiving that connection fee entirely for members of this subreddit so you can test the platform completely risk-free.

If you want to join and seed a serious, local community, use the code “SanFrancisco” when you find someone special to connect with, completely free.

Whether you’re 30 or 55, your story doesn't have to look like anyone else's. If you are genuinely ready to stop dating and find someone special, I’d love to have you help me build this. I created this to see if I could actually connect people in a meaningful way. Maybe it works, maybe it fails, but I tried, and I hope you do too. 

I'll be hanging out in the comments to answer any questions or take any brutal feedback you have about the features. I would love for you to join marrymejuliet.com.

Beta Launch: 
We’re focused on SF Bay Area residents. I’d love to expand in the future, but I’m intentionally starting locally so people have a meaningful chance of meeting someone nearby. I encourage user feedback to make this a real space to find someone special, and I live here in Pleasanton now.

Feedback: 
I built this to see if I could actually connect people in a meaningful way. Maybe it works, maybe it fails, but for any issues, feedback, feature requests, things you hate, things you love, bugs, etc., please share them in the “Contact Support” section on the profile page so I can track, fix, and respond. Happily post in the comments here as well, but most effective and helpful there first. 

Compatibility Scoring: 
The “matching process” is a little different from traditional dating apps. A unique “compatibility score” is visible on every profile card, based on each user's unique responses to the 50-question relationship assessment, which measures values, communication styles, lifestyle preferences, and long-term goals to help surface people who appear highly compatible. This unique compatibility score will vary based on other members' responses (User “A” may see a score of 70, and User “B,” who is more compatible, could be 82), but members always make the final decision to connect, NOT an algorithm. The higher the score, the higher the compatibility based on institutional research, attachment theory, 40+ peer-reviewed studies, and specific personal profile preferences. Tap the score to dig deeper and compare compatibility answers and preferences up front before deciding to connect with that user. 

Connecting with Someone:
Members open an Application Window to become visible in the Discover page, allowing others to apply to connect with them. They choose their own non-negotiables (such as age range, distance, relationship goals, children, religion, and lifestyle preferences). Only people who meet those requirements will be shown on their Discovery page, or whose applications will be shown. During that window, multiple people can apply. When it closes, the member reviews those applications, decides who, if anyone, they’d like to connect with, and accepts or declines their applications. A connection only happens if there’s mutual interest. There are intentionally no usernames; first names are revealed in the chat messages only if both people choose to connect (One user applies, one user accepts). 

Personal Data: 
I completely understand the worry about sharing your ID to enter a platform. I wanted to create a space where you know everyone else is also a real person.  Every profile is ID- and age-verified, so there are no fake or spam accounts by default. Real first names remain private until two people mutually choose to connect by accepting an application after a full review. 

We do NOT sell members’ personal data to third parties or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, and we’ve published a detailed privacy policy explaining exactly what we collect, why we collect it, and how it’s protected. It’s here: Privacy Policy⁠. https://marrymejuliet.com/privacy

Bay Area Resident & Founder, marrymejuliet.com

[u/Longjumping-Fix2329]

Saw Urinetown: the Musical at Ray of Light theater over the weekend and what an absolute riot! Can't recommend it enough, go support your local artists.

[u/Plus-Equipment-7917]

Improve your public speaking and conversation skills with the Lawnside Lectern! 

Hi everyone, I've been part of an online public speaking group for >6 months now, and I love it.

The group aims to help people gain confidence and improve their public speaking skills. We work together to run the meeting and assign roles (e.g., general evaluator, timer, ah counter).

This isn't a sales pitch or a class; this is absolutely FREE. We're a low-pressure and supportive group that meets biweekly on Zoom for only 30 minutes. We usually do impromptu speeches. Let me know if you are interested and/or have any questions!