Month: January 2005

CBSNEWS — Jan 27 — As they face cutthroat competition several top sites have overhauled their online dating experience, and up-and-coming companies are wooing people like the marriage-minded, the security-conscious, and the religious. All in all, the changes may be turning online dating into a friendlier world. Video and audio links offer singles the opportunity to see and hear one another before the traditional coffee date. Compatibility surveys aim to match people who have similar outlooks on life and love.  From the beginning of 2001 to the end of 2003, customer spending on the sites rocketed from $8 million to $117 million.  But in Q2 2004 spending was stagnant at $114 million. 

Mark Brooks: A typical date costs $50-$100.  Most online dating companies charge $20 a month.  Money is being left on the table.  Expect to see more innovation, premium service offerings and overall improvements in the online dating user experience.  The focus needs to be on saving time and improving the quality of matches.

PRWEB — Jan 26 — A new breed of dating sites has emerged on the online dating scene. The Military Dating Network is part of a growing trend of online dating sites focused on specific niches rather than one size fits all. One site that features many other military dating sites is single-in-the-military.com. Here you’ll find other sites focused specifically on military singles and their admirers.  FULL RELEASE @ PRWEB

LEHIGH JUNIVERSITY PAPER — Jan 23 — It was an especially horrendous experience last year that made me practically swear off men forever. I had the worst freshman year ever because of one guy. But, to the point of my article, I found solace in a place where many people wouldn’t think of going: I went to the Internet. Online dating has lots of perks. You don’t have to worry about that awkward face-to-face contact typical of a first meeting. If you don’t like someone, it’s really easy to drop off the face of the earth. You can search for someone who has the same interests as you — none of that guesswork. You get to know the person based on personality first — not looks. 

The full article was originally published at The Brown and White, but is no longer available.

Mark Brooks: This student went to Match and Yahoo Personals. MySpace, TheFaceBook and HotOrNot have captivated many younger online personals users.

NORTHERN STAR — Jan 25 — It has become increasingly difficult for the youth to find places to congregate. Online relationships definitely have the advantage of being convenient. The Internet used to be a scary place to meet strangers. Now it seems to be one of the few ways which we can transcend the obstacles we face in our day-to-day social lives. Online communities may not be the perfect solution to the communication barriers of our generation, but they sure are a great start.