CLICK PRESS — Dec 12 — Lanie and Bud met through a dating service and decided to pass their good fortune on to others. They founded MassMatch for Massachusetts singles. MassMatch.com has found the perfect niche offering even lower prices than the major online dating sites combined with the care and attention people crave. FULL ARTICLE @ CLICK PRESS
Month: December 2005
Blind Dating Gets Back in the Game
USA TODAY — Dec 11 — When it comes to misrepresentation, when an online date says he's 5-foot-10 and turns out to be more like 5-foot-6, "everything kind of goes back to the beginning. Everything that was communicated by e-mail or phone just kind of goes out the window, and you wonder, 'Oh, my gosh. Is this the person I thought it was?' " As a result, blind dating is more popular than before. "The technology of Internet dating, while it may seem like a great thing in terms of multiplying your opportunities to meet people, more options does not necessarily translate into a better chance of meeting The One," says Jillian Straus, author of the forthcoming Unhooked Generation: The Truth About Why We're Still Single. "Sometimes having so many choices makes people hesitant to commit." Daters and dating analysts agree there are two kinds of people trawling the Internet and the speed-dating circuit: those shopping for sex and those shopping for a mate. FULL ARTICLE @ USA TODAY
ITV Buys Friends Reunited for $304mn
The full article was originally published at Middle East Times, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: I'm British, I used Friends Reunited to get in contact with my school friends in UK. It's a very simple site that is very well populated…and effective. Membership is a pittance at just a few 'quid' a year.
Friends with Benefits. Buddies. Booty calls. Is this what dating has become?
THE SEATTLE TIMES — Dec 11 — Today's dating scene is about as easy to pigeonhole as the color of paint. Sure, there are plenty of traditionalists out there, but there are many others who don't date so much as hang out or hook up. Some rely on what I'll politely call "bed buddies" to get them through the lonely times. Dating has changed dramatically. Fifty years ago, a single woman would sooner hide out in a darkened apartment than let her neighbors know she didn't have a Saturday night steady. These days, she'll post her picture on AdultFriendFinder or Lavalife's "Intimate Encounters" section to find a no-strings sex partner for the night. "If somebody has no intention of looking for someone special in their life and just wants sex for fun and pleasure, isn't it better that they tell you up front?" says Pepper Schwartz, University of Washington sociology professor and author of "Finding Your Perfect Match." (and PerfectMatch.com spokesperson). "The honesty may be a little difficult to take, but it might hurt less in the long run."
The full article was originally published at Seattle Times, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: This is a groundbreaking article. I rarely see the subject of casual dating sites broached in the press. Some interesting social trends are empowering the press to start picking this subject area up. Adultfriendfinder, Sexsearch and Mate1 are the top adult dating sites.
Gay.com Takes Over Parliament to Support Civil Unions
The full article was originally published at Gay Wired, but is no longer available.
Disney–A Friend of Friendster’s?
CNET NEWS — Dec 9 — Friendster has apparently drawn the fancy of Mickey Mouse. Media giant Disney has shown interest in the company, according to sources. It’s unclear, however, if Disney has backed away from the table, they say. But whatever the case, traditional media companies like Disney have once again been investing in and buying up Internet properties to build up their operations online. FULL ARTICLE @ CNET
Springville Rapist
UTAH DAILY HERALD — Dec 12 — A litany of disturbing new allegations of rape emerged Thursday against a 25-year-old Springville man prosecutors say has become an Internet dating site predator in Utah County. Parkinson is a defendant in two related but separate felony forcible sex abuse cases from 2004 in which police say he sexually assaulted two women he met through dating Web sites. The affidavit states Parkinson used the alias "Jeff Johnson" on singlesaints.com. Police and dating site operators encourage people to talk extensively online before meeting, use a public phone or a phone with a blocked number when talking for the first time and to meet in a public place. Bringing a cell phone on the date and letting someone know where you are, what you're doing and when you'll be back are also advised.
The full article was originally published at Utah Daily Herald, but is no longer available.
AmericanSingles(R) Unveils a New Look
PR NEWS — Dec 9 — AmericanSingles.com announced a newly re-designed website that encourages greater member communication. New site features include: a streamlined registration process and one-click login. A new time-saving 'Gallery View" option allows members to browse large numbers of photos and profiles at one time. Video IM and chat rooms. Hot list menus allow members to keep track of the members they're interested in and those who've shown an interest in them.
Nude ‘Profile’ Yahoo Suit Dismissed
CNET NEWS — Dec 9 — Cecilia Barnes sued Yahoo after ex-boyfriend allegedly posted a personal profile with nude photos of Barnes and her work contact information. A US District Judge in Oregon ruled on Nov 8 dismissing the case. The judge ruled that a string of precedents, including the 1997 Zeran v. America Online decision, immunized Yahoo from such lawsuits. FULL ARTICLE @ CNET
Mark Brooks: …but she will sue the boyfriend. Seems more fitting.
Consumating.com Acquired by CNET
CONSUMATING NEWS — Dec 5 — Consumating was built by two guys on a lark, and has been run as a part-time project by one of those guys out of his house as an after-normal-work-hours hobby? Everything you can do on Consumating today – post a profile, answer questions, and send messages to all the hot nerds – is now free, free, free! We'll have time and resources to focus on marketing. Ben Brown will finally have all the time in the world to launch all the cool features he's designed. CNET is going to let us continue to wear our nose piercings and large guage earrings.
The full article was originally published at Consumating, but is no longer available.