Ever wonder what powers eHarmony, Plenty of Fish, True.com and PerfectMatch.com? We peek under the covers at online dating sites.
By Robert L. Mitchell
When Joe wanted to find love, he turned to science.
Rather than hang out in bars or hope that random dates worked out, the 34-year-old aerospace engineer signed up for eHarmony.com, an online dating service that uses detailed profiles, proprietary matching algorithms and a tightly controlled communications process to help people find their perfect soul mate.
Over a three-month period last fall, Joe found 500 people who appeared to fit his criteria. He initiated contact with 100 of them, corresponded with 50 and dated three before finding the right match. He’s now happily in a relationship, and although he was skeptical at first, he says high tech played a big role in his success.
Internet dating sites are the love machines of the Web, and they’re big business. eHarmony and similar sites drew 22.1 million unique visitors during just one month, December 2008, according to comScore Media Metrix.
And unlike many social networking sites, they actually make money — the top sites bring in hundreds of millions per year, mostly in subscription fees.
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~Sandy G.
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ELLEN PERELMAN February 14, 2009
