THE NY TIMES – July 6 - There are ~4M singles in New York City. A number of them are not as original as they think. New data from HowAboutWe.com suggests that not only do many people plan similar dates, but like lemmings, they also collectively migrate from one theme to the next. HowAboutWe.com is a new dating site where members could demonstrate who they are, not with personal essays and awkward messages, but by proposing dates that begin with the words: "How about we. …" That New Yorkers on a dating site would be drawn to similar activities can be explained in part by a sociological principle known as homophily. It's the idea that similar people tend to value the same things as other people like them. Often, there are more men than women on dating sites. HowAboutWe has a 60-40 female-male split, and Mr. Schildkrout, the co-founder, said he thought "the girls' dates are a little more specific and creative."
