SAN FRAN CHRONICLE — July 23 — With advances in cell phone technology and wireless networks, users can browse truncated profiles, view photos of possible dates and exchange cheesy lines via text messaging. SmallPlanet has come up with a way for its compatible users to be alerted when they are within range of each other, in most cases about 30 feet for now. Said analyst Brent Iadarola of Frost & Sullivan. "The comfort people have with online dating in the wired world is now translating to the mobile world." Subscription revenue for mobile services are expected to rise from $31.4 million this year to $215 million by 2009. That does not include revenue from text-messaging charges, which could double those figures, according to Iadarola. "Handset technology has moved in leaps and bounds to the point you can have a good user experience while on the bus or sitting in the back of car," said Mark Brooks, editor of Online Personals Watch. "People are gaming and texting now. It all makes sense at last." One promising technology is location-based dating, in which users can be alerted to a potential match just down the street or somewhere in their ZIP code. "I can go to a club, and the phone becomes a transponder," said Joe Brennan Jr., vice president of Webdate, the industry leader with 5 million users. "I can find someone I match up with, and that facilitates a meeting." But there's a hitch. Wireless carriers haven't embraced Webdate technology for now because they are unconvinced of the safety and manageability of the service. Some fear the technology could be manipulated to electronically harass users. FULL ARTICLE @ SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Category: Outlets – San Francisco Chronicle
Rich Gosse on San Francisco Singles
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE — June 12 — The Money Talks PR stunt of the week goes to…the Society of Single Professionals for a speech by dating expert Rich Gosse, the Marin PR guy who you may remember ran for governor on the singles platform. Gosse is headlining the "Singles Extravaganza" at the Marriott Hotel and says, despite San Francisco's reputation as a gay mecca, Baghdad by the Bay is a "straight singles' paradise." In his winning press release, Gosse says it is not true that all San Francisco men are married, gay or dead. "Even after you subtract the 24% of single men in San Francisco who are gay, there are still more heterosexual bachelors to meet, per capita, than in most large cities in America. If San Francisco women think it's tough to meet a man, they should try New York City, where there is a surplus of over 700,000 single women over single men!" FULL ARTICLE @ SF GATE
Mark Brooks: Rich has been running singles events for years. He started American Singles and sold it to Matchnet (now Spark). He still runs the 'Society of American Singles,' as a non-profit, and runs events and flirting conventions in the Bay Area and as far afield as Australia.
Yahoo Revenue Tops $1 Billion
SF CHRONICLE — Apr 20 — Yahoo’s growth streak continued in Q1 with revenue above $1 billion for the first time. Yahoo’s profit was $204.6 million, double a year ago. Q1 revenue climbed to $1.17 billion, up 55%. Fees/memberships accounted for $148.9 million in revenue. The category includes subscriptions for fantasy sports leagues, online dating and broadband Internet access. In all, Yahoo had 8.9 million paid subscriptions as of March 31. FULL ARTICLE @ SFGATE
Turning the Tables on Male Order
SF CHRONICLE — Mar 6 — When I got the press release on my desk, I balked. "Why Russian Women Make the Best Brides" was the eye-catching announcement of a "Russian/American dating forum" to be held in the Bay Area. Parody; http://www.mailorderhusbands.net. Daryl from Illinois: "My name is Daryl. I will be turning 18 in September. My parents are kicking me out after December and I'd like to meet a woman with a lot of money so we can have fun. I like women between 18-45, but would consider older if we do not have to touch a lot." FULL ARTICLE @ SFGATE
Mark Brooks: ^ And now for something completely different ^
Objectifying Online Dating Among Ayn Rand Fans
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE — Feb 6 — Get this: There's a dating service for Ayn Rand followers. On the Internet, of course. It's tied to the Atlasphere (www.theatlassphere.com), an online site where Rand followers post philosophical essays and links to related material. The site is fascinating, the essays intriguing, but the dating service got me going. FULL ARTICLE @ SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Mark Brooks: There are sites for pet lovers, Latter Day Saints followers, Ivy Leaguers, Democrats…now Ayn Rand fans. Anyone know of any more extreme specialisms? Comments please.