CNET NEWS – Jan 21 – Singlesquare is a new iPhone app which builds a location-based dating service using Foursquare's check-in technology. The experience is based around 'sightings' of single people in public venues. Users may add themselves to a specific location and designate themselves as looking for love. The app allows users to browse nearby venues and see how many other Singlesquare users are there, as well as send messages to other users. Singlesquare is the newest member to the location-based dating scene also populated by StreetSpark, MeetMoi Now, Skout and Grindr. FULL ARTICLE @ CNET NEWS
Month: January 2011
Butterflysocial.co.uk Looks To Bring Social Dating To The Forefront This Valentine’s Day
RESPONSE SOURCE – Jan 21 – Jenni Regan, founder of Butterflysocial.co.uk, hopes that social dating will revolutionize the dating experience. Social dating is focused on small group events for singles catering to specific interests. This site, and others like it, aim to overcome the common obstacles of traditional dating and online dating. Regan said: “Internet dating can be so daunting and very hit and miss. Butterflysocial.co.uk is all about getting people out in small groups for relaxed and easy-going evening or afternoon events.” FULL ARTICLE @ RESPONSE SOURCE
IMVU Online 3D World Gaining Popularity As A Dating Platform
MUSIC TALKERS – Jan 21 – IMVU is an online virtual 3D world where users can meet and interact with new people. The service is available to all ages, though there are strict age verification procedures to prevent access to adult sections by minors. This is an important feature, as the service is increasingly being used for online dating. IMVU is free to join and customize your own avatar, with additional features and upgrades available at a cost. FULL ARTICLE @ MUSIC TALKERS
Victoria Milan Caters To Infidelity Niche In Europe
POLITIKEN.DK – Jan 23 – Victoria Milan launched in Norway in October 2010 and has recently expanded operations to Sweden, England and Denmark. The infidelity dating market has always met resistance, but site manager, Sigurd Vedal defends his business, stating that market analysis revealed that 30-35% of dating site members are in a committed relationship and that this market segment had the most room for growth. When confronted with questions of the morality of offering such a service, Vedal contends that his site, Victoria Milan, did not create infidelity; people choose to be unfaithful long before they sign up for the site. FULL ARTICLE @ POLITIKEN.DK
The iDate Awards Winners 2011 Were…
OPW – Jan 21 – The 2011 iDate awards took place at National Hotel banquet hall in Miami Beach. We're proud to announce the following award winners.
– Best Up and Coming Dating Site
OKCupid
– Best Marketing Campaign
LoveStruck.com
– Best Affiliate Program
WhiteLabelDating.com
– Best Payment System
PayPal
– Best New Technology
Intro Analytics
– Most Innovative Company
OKCupid
– Best Matchmaker
Julie Ferman, eLove (Cupid's Coach)
– Best Mobile Dating Site
Grindr
– Best Dating Software Provider
WhiteLabelDating.com
– Best Dating Site Design
OKCupid
– Best Dating Site
OKCupid
Datingstartshere Is Hiring
OPW – Jan 20 – Datingstartshere, a startup, that offers affiliate related distribution to the 1,000 and more online dating sites, is looking for an Affiliate Manager, Dating Agregator.
Prior experience in the affiliate marking field with real estate listing services, travel sellers and resellers, or job boards will be helpful. The position is full time and located in Reston, Virginia. Travel to the home offices of many of the dating sites will be required. A technical team is in place, and financing is secure. Working conditions are excellent, and a substantial performance based upside is available.
Contact Mike Baldock if you are interested in working for Datingstartshere.
Gotham Wants To Build The ‘Facebook Of The Dating world’
THE STAR – Jan 20 - Gotham Dating Partners, a dating company behind such websites as PrisonHookup.com and UglyPeopleDate.com plans to re-launch the site on Valentine’s Day. Gotham will build profiles of public information from social networks, mailing lists, marketing surveys, marriage and divorce records, government census records, real estate listings and personal and business websites. Once the information is posted, a person can delete or update their profile for free but will be charged a fee if they want to contact any other member. If the profile lists the person as single, their profile will automatically be added to the dating section of Gotham’s site. FULL ARTICLE @ THE STAR
How Has Internet Dating Changed Society?
OPW – Jan 19 – This morning I'm keynoting at iDate Miami. The biggest conference for the Internet dating industry. We'll be reviewing numbers and trends, but the real long term changes to the dating industry will be determined by the executives leading dating companies. The mindsets of executives will determine how idating will serve singles and prosper. We wondered what their ideals were, and how they considered their work was changing society. So we sent out a survey asking the 400 executive members of the Internet Dating Executive Alliance how they thought Internet dating had changed society, and how it might change society it in the future.
This white paper is a compendium of their responses. Executives from Match, People Media, Shaadi, Bharat Matrimony, Baihe, Fling, Parship, Friendscout24 and Christiancafe responded, among many others. 39 in all. Please take a coffee, take 10, and soak this up and let us know your thoughts as a comment on this post.
eHarmony CEO Gregory Waldorf Resigns
BLOOMBERG – Jan 19 – Gregory Waldorf, who has run internet dating site eHarmony for nearly five years, will step down from his CEO position. eHarmony's president and COO, Greg Steiner, will assume the role of CEO on an interim basis while the board searches for a permanent CEO. “As eHarmony begins its second decade, the time is right for me to step down,” Waldorf said in the statement, without providing a specific reason for leaving. This leadership change may delay an IPO for eHarmony, which has been a constant consideration according to Waldorf. eHarmony is valued at about $600M according to SharePost Inc.
The full article was originally published at Bloomberg, but is no longer available.
When Strangers Click – Online Dating Movie To Debut On HBO2 Valentine’s Day
PRESS RELEASE – Jan 19 – The new movie, When Strangers Click, chronicles the stories of five people in search of love online. It will air on HBO2 on Valentine’s Day, 2011. The stories in When Strangers Click were selected from hundreds submitted via the Web, including Twitter, Facebook and Second Life. The movie is directed and produced by Robert Kenner, of Oscar®-nominated “Food, Inc.” fame. FULL ARTICLE @ HBO