computer science

Scruff (app)

Scruff (app) is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Scruff (app) rather than just read about it. In short: Scruff (stylised as SCRUFF) is an American-French international social application for men seeking men that runs on iOS and Android devices. The app allows users to upload profiles and photos, and search for other members by location and shared interests.

Key takeaways

Scruff (app) belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Scruff (app) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Scruff (app) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Scruff (stylised as SCRUFF) is an American-French international social application for men seeking men that runs on iOS and Android devices. The app allows users to upload profiles and photos, and search for other members by location and shared interests. Users can directly message other users or they can use the app's "Woof" feature, which allows users to express interest in another user's profile. As of 2019, the app has approximately 15+ million members worldwide with Scruff downloads taking place throughout 180 countries and six continents. The app has been translated into 10 languages including Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, French, Chinese, and Arabic. The app is free to download. Users can opt to purchase a paid membership, Scruff Pro, to access additional features.

History The company was founded in 2010 by Johnny Skandros and Eric Silverberg, now its CEO. In 2013, the app added a community for HIV-positive users called "Poz." Scruff was the first app to include options for members of the military and transgender community. In October, 2015, the company launched Scruff Version 5, which included new communities, relationship types, sex preferences, and safety practices. In 2018, Scruff stopped using third-party programmatic ads, such as banner ads, and moved to a revenue model based on subscriptions and direct advertising. Company CEO Eric Silverberg said that the decision was based on concerns about "shady advertising," as well as user safety and privacy, particularly in regions or countries where homophobia is still widespread. As of August 2018, Scruff does not require members to provide information about race or ethnicity. CEO Eric Silverberg said the decision will help the company "ensure that harassment, racism, and abuse doesn't happen." In January 2019, after multiple suspensions from Google Play, Scruff announced that it was banning profile photos featuring "sexually suggestive embraces" or members in their underwear or in swimming trunks. Scruff launched a live-streaming trivia game show called "Hosting" in March 2019. Users compete for cash prizes by answering LGBT-themed pop culture and history questions through the Scruff app. They can also view and send "Woof" notifications to other players.

Awards and recognition In 2014, the company won several mobile app awards including Time Out New York's Best App Award. In 2018, Scruff was included in Digital Trends' list of "Best LGBT dating apps for Android and iOS." In 2018, The Daily Dot named Scruff as one of the "9 best dating sites and apps for gay men." TechRadar included Scruff on its list of "best dating apps 2019."

Safety, awareness and security In 2015, the company added a traveler alert feature that notifies users when they reach one of approximately 100 countries where homosexuality is criminalized, sends alerts to members about immediate safety concerns in these regions, and partners with the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), on a web page identifying anti-gay laws in such countries. In 2018, chief executive officer Eric Silverberg said that Scruff has no plans to integrate with Facebook due to concerns about privacy and data mining. In March 2024, Police in Washington state announced a pair of suspects are facing murder charges in connection with the defrauding and murder of Curtis Engeland, 74, after the pair gained his trust through Scruff.

Operations Using geolocation, the home interface displays a grid of user profile pictures, arranged from nearest to farthest away. Tapping a picture opens a users' profile displaying options to chat, send a "Woof," save profiles, and unlock private photos, videos, and other information from the user.

Features The travel-focused "Venture" service allows users to browse popular travel destinations around the world, meet up with other users, RSVP to local events, and search for accommodations. Venture also includes a chat function that connects users to local "ambassadors" who can provide suggestions about where to go and what to do in more than 500 destinations. The "Woof" option enables members to express interest by "woofing" at another member as an alternate choice to directly messaging them. The "Stealth Mode" feature uses GPS obfuscation to hide a user's location if a member chooses that option for their privacy or protection. Match: This feature allows users to use a photo swipe for members specifically seeking relationships. Insights: Allows users to see statistics based on a certain users' responsiveness towards other communities within the app.

In popular culture The company unveiled an ad campaign on a billboard just outside Super Bowl XLIX that read "Play on Our Team" to encourage acceptance of gay professional athletes. Founder Johnny Skandros and Scruff's Pit Crew were featured as guests on Season 6 of RuPaul's Drag Race. Scruff supported the Delhi International Queer Theater and Film Festival in 2016. In October 2018, YouTube personality and model Brendan Jordan partnered with Scruff to promote National Coming Out Day. Teenage character Jules Vaughn uses the app in HBO television series Euphoria.

See also Homosocialization Comparison of online dating services Timeline of online dating services

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Scruff (app)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Scruff (app) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Scruff (app) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Scruff (app) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Scruff (app)

In research: Scruff (app) appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Scruff (app) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Scruff (app) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2010 software, Android (operating system) software, BlackBerry software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Scruff (app) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Scruff (app) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Scruff (app) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Scruff (app) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Scruff (app) in simple terms?

Why does Scruff (app) matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Scruff (app)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Scruff (app).