I have had several messages from people as far away as Venezuela this week wanting to know whether I've seen "this thing."
The thing is question turns out to be a charmingly named Facebook app called Bang With Friends. At its root, this is a dating app that eschews the "dating" part and rushes you headlong to the denouement.
There is a clear need for it. The New York Times reported only the other day that the poor and starving men of New York couldn't afford to take women on nice dates, so they resorted to asking them for a hangout. Not the Google Plus kind.
Bang With Friends merely removes the "h" from hangout and replaces it with a "b." Both parties are only notified when there is mutual interest. So there's no deep, direct rejection.
The Daily Beast reported that the people behind it wish to remain anonymous and are a little taken aback by how it has inspired a new generation of young, penniless non-daters with iPhones. 30,000 people have already signed up for its wares.
Moved by this success, perhaps, rivals have come along to take the concept to, as it were, the next level of sophistication.
For Mashable is breathlessly reporting that there is to be a new app called Bang With Professionals.
I cannot begin to judge whether this is mere parody or a vast business opportunity.
The site offers a rather alluring enticement: "Because people you want to bang aren't always Facebook friends."
Well, indeed.
"Our services are completely secure and anonymous. Your co-workers will only know you're interested for more if they are interested too," the Bang With Professionals site says, perhaps removing the need for intervention by your human-resources department. I have attempted to make contact with Bang With Professionals with a nervous curiosity to find out more about what this workplace collaboration might entail.
However, as one of the bang With Friends creators (anonymously) told the Daily Beast: "(Sex) should be something you're expressive about, that you're comfortable with, and if there's a beautiful woman or a handsome man that you're interested in, you shouldn't hold back. We're just giving you closer access to knowing the truth."
And we all know that the truth will set you free. Especially at the office.
