Comments on: OkCupid Raises $6 Million http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/ Trusted Insights and Conversations on the Next Wave of Technology Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:00:03 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: DCMerlin http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-955222 DCMerlin Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:49:42 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-955222 <p>I am OKCupid user DCMerlin. I"m known to many OKCupid users due to a rather comprehensive guide to the site I composed about 18 months ago and which has has grown over that much time.</p> <p>I'm posting here because I'm seriously disgruntled with some of the decisions OKCupid has made over the past two years. They made great strides, but now it seems they are removing some really excellent features that are most appreciated by their most serious users. I can't understand what they are trying to do, but I have this theory that they are trying to dumb the site down to concede to some users who insist that they want a site that's simpler, less challenging, less complicated... you know, like POF.</p> <p>For most of us, OKCupid's qualification was that it attracted geeks. One site cannot be everything to everyone. The programming saying applies, "Make a program even an idiot can use and only an idiot will want to use it.</p> <p>If you want to know more of what this is about, please see my post on LJ about this.</p> <p>http://dcmerlin.livejournal.com/1127.html</p> I am OKCupid user DCMerlin. I”m known to many OKCupid users due to a rather comprehensive guide to the site I composed about 18 months ago and which has has grown over that much time.

I’m posting here because I’m seriously disgruntled with some of the decisions OKCupid has made over the past two years. They made great strides, but now it seems they are removing some really excellent features that are most appreciated by their most serious users. I can’t understand what they are trying to do, but I have this theory that they are trying to dumb the site down to concede to some users who insist that they want a site that’s simpler, less challenging, less complicated… you know, like POF.

For most of us, OKCupid’s qualification was that it attracted geeks. One site cannot be everything to everyone. The programming saying applies, “Make a program even an idiot can use and only an idiot will want to use it.

If you want to know more of what this is about, please see my post on LJ about this.

http://dcmerlin.livejournal.com/1127.html

]]> By: Jeff http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-954739 Jeff Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:45:39 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-954739 <p>It's nice that they're trying to corner the free dating market, but I'm sticking with http://www.DowntownDates.com. They've always been free.</p> It’s nice that they’re trying to corner the free dating market, but I’m sticking with http://www.DowntownDates.com. They’ve always been free.

]]> By: Free Dating Site, OkCupid Gets $6 Million in Funding http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-918109 Free Dating Site, OkCupid Gets $6 Million in Funding Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:19:47 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-918109 <p>[...] GigaOM] More Articles in Internet & New Media >> Related Keywords: [...]</p> [...] GigaOM] More Articles in Internet & New Media >> Related Keywords: [...]

]]> By: Tom Lee http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-885283 Tom Lee Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:26:14 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-885283 <p>OKCupid looks nice, still I think plentyoffish.com is a better success story. A one person website that can take on the big sites, I think POF will be the winner in the long run.</p> OKCupid looks nice, still I think plentyoffish.com is a better success story. A one person website that can take on the big sites, I think POF will be the winner in the long run.

]]> By: Michelle http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-884571 Michelle Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:06:59 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-884571 <p>OkCupid also reserves the right to impersonate users. The Terms and Conditions page explains that if a member is suspected of being online for any thing other than a "bona fide relationship-seeking purposes," OkCupid will contact that member with fake profiles in order to determine the users reason for being there.</p> <p>Yet, when joining users are asked what they are looking for at OkCupid, and "I am here for the cool tests!" is an option. So, if a user chooses that option- they are subject to fake profiles.</p> <p>The site will make money, providing compilations of user made psychological profiles to advertising strategists.</p> <p>Unless of course users find out. And care.</p> OkCupid also reserves the right to impersonate users. The Terms and Conditions page explains that if a member is suspected of being online for any thing other than a “bona fide relationship-seeking purposes,” OkCupid will contact that member with fake profiles in order to determine the users reason for being there.

Yet, when joining users are asked what they are looking for at OkCupid, and “I am here for the cool tests!” is an option. So, if a user chooses that option- they are subject to fake profiles.

The site will make money, providing compilations of user made psychological profiles to advertising strategists.

Unless of course users find out. And care.

]]> By: OKCupid http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-879852 OKCupid Fri, 23 May 2008 20:54:01 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-879852 <p>OKCupid has nice design and easy to follow. I like this design and I am impressed about how smart he is in terms of marketing to run a successful dating web site like this. Thanks for sharing.</p> OKCupid has nice design and easy to follow. I like this design and I am impressed about how smart he is in terms of marketing to run a successful dating web site like this. Thanks for sharing.

]]> By: tropic79 http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-878270 tropic79 Wed, 14 May 2008 02:16:33 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-878270 <p>I like OKCupid so far. At least they are not trying to deceive me with fake profiles. It's amazing how the "winks" start on a certain site as soon as I cancel my subscription. I won't name the site but it rhymes with scratch.</p> I like OKCupid so far. At least they are not trying to deceive me with fake profiles. It’s amazing how the “winks” start on a certain site as soon as I cancel my subscription. I won’t name the site but it rhymes with scratch.

]]> By: matchmaking http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-865012 matchmaking Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:00:30 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-865012 <p>good post. personally i think simple designed web sites are more successful.</p> good post. personally i think simple designed web sites are more successful.

]]> By: AllSinglesMeet http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-794837 AllSinglesMeet Sun, 23 Dec 2007 06:13:25 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-794837 <p>it's very heartening to see that people are finally acknowledging that free does NOT necessarily mean compromise on quality. Congrats OKCupid and best wishes for future!</p> it’s very heartening to see that people are finally acknowledging that free does NOT necessarily mean compromise on quality. Congrats OKCupid and best wishes for future!

]]> By: Yogi Muranjan http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-604209 Yogi Muranjan Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:30:32 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-604209 <p>How about the new site OurLikes.com? It is getting a lot of traction lately. You can express your interests visually through images, and other people can match it. Click click click and you will start clicking to other users. Not to mention, it has a very sweet interface too.</p> How about the new site OurLikes.com? It is getting a lot of traction lately. You can express your interests visually through images, and other people can match it. Click click click and you will start clicking to other users. Not to mention, it has a very sweet interface too.

]]> By: ron burgandy http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82028 ron burgandy Tue, 15 May 2007 03:49:55 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82028 <p>david... if you think that match.com make only 10K per day after all expenses you are sadly mis-informed... try a little higher.</p> david… if you think that match.com make only 10K per day after all expenses you are sadly mis-informed… try a little higher.

]]> By: david http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82027 david Wed, 11 Apr 2007 04:29:20 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82027 <p>Pete!..Ted has no idea what he's talking about! not only do i operate online sites and I make revenue on google adense. I could not have said it better The Web will turn into a FREE web...with someone else paying the bill! just becuase a site is free does not mean someone is not paying for it!</p> <p>Ted..plentyoffish has the traffic with almost no overhead or marketing expense. So if he makes 10k daily with no staff, rent, or expense like the big boys..I would say he's more profitable then the big sites.</p> Pete!..Ted has no idea what he’s talking about! not only do i operate online sites and I make revenue on google adense. I could not have said it better The Web will turn into a FREE web…with someone else paying the bill! just becuase a site is free does not mean someone is not paying for it!

Ted..plentyoffish has the traffic with almost no overhead or marketing expense. So if he makes 10k daily with no staff, rent, or expense like the big boys..I would say he’s more profitable then the big sites.

]]> By: Anthony http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82026 Anthony Tue, 10 Apr 2007 06:04:34 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82026 <p>I personally love okcupid. I think that the biger pay sites are garbage. Most of the people there don't buy a subscription anyway, They shouldn't count because they can't get back to you. I've met lots of really great girls on okcupid (most of them contacted me), It's got these really cool quizzes, and you are able to contact everyone, and they can contact you. I actually had a Plentyoffish acount over a year ago, I met this girl which I dated for a year before we broke up.</p> <p>Okcupid works great for me, but I'm a really good looking guy. (I'm sure that helps a lot.)</p> I personally love okcupid. I think that the biger pay sites are garbage. Most of the people there don’t buy a subscription anyway, They shouldn’t count because they can’t get back to you. I’ve met lots of really great girls on okcupid (most of them contacted me), It’s got these really cool quizzes, and you are able to contact everyone, and they can contact you. I actually had a Plentyoffish acount over a year ago, I met this girl which I dated for a year before we broke up.

Okcupid works great for me, but I’m a really good looking guy. (I’m sure that helps a lot.)

]]> By: Tom http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82025 Tom Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:21:55 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82025 <p>Interesting. Why couldn't Sam reduce the GDP by a half billion? It's a number...numbers go up and down everyday. Although that’s a pretty big number to attack with only six million from VC! OKCupid came up with six million from VC...big deal and who cares if he doesn't release the names of the investors. OKCupid has serious problems and needs serious solutions. They need a different plan but who am I to tell Sam what to do...seems like he's doing pretty well. OKCupid does have a unique value proposition but a value proposition doesn’t pay the rent all the time. This site is Ad Driven but cupid needs to toss a couple million of that VC dollars into internal problems like the fact that the site reloads every three seconds. Am I the only one that noticed that? Come on. They run live scripts that interfere with other software. This site was a lot of potential but is in dire need of an overhaul. Sure google purchased myspace for one billion but why would anyone purchase a personal web site like OKCupid? Why? Because this is America baby...that's what we do...lol.</p> Interesting. Why couldn’t Sam reduce the GDP by a half billion? It’s a number…numbers go up and down everyday. Although that’s a pretty big number to attack with only six million from VC! OKCupid came up with six million from VC…big deal and who cares if he doesn’t release the names of the investors. OKCupid has serious problems and needs serious solutions. They need a different plan but who am I to tell Sam what to do…seems like he’s doing pretty well. OKCupid does have a unique value proposition but a value proposition doesn’t pay the rent all the time. This site is Ad Driven but cupid needs to toss a couple million of that VC dollars into internal problems like the fact that the site reloads every three seconds. Am I the only one that noticed that? Come on. They run live scripts that interfere with other software. This site was a lot of potential but is in dire need of an overhaul. Sure google purchased myspace for one billion but why would anyone purchase a personal web site like OKCupid? Why? Because this is America baby…that’s what we do…lol.

]]> By: vanchau http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82024 vanchau Sat, 24 Feb 2007 22:45:14 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82024 <p>I think pay dating will be around, but it will just evolve. There are strong players moving into the free dating space such that the quality of service will rival or surpass that of current pay dating.</p> <p>Most likely pay dating will become very high end with "high-touch" customer service. The masses will be served by next generation free dating sites in the future.</p> <p>OKCupid is really a quiz site with dating elements.. kinda like MySpace is a social network but has dating elements. I think focus is important, people don't want to waste time on a pseudo-dating destination if there are better alternatives</p> I think pay dating will be around, but it will just evolve. There are strong players moving into the free dating space such that the quality of service will rival or surpass that of current pay dating.

Most likely pay dating will become very high end with “high-touch” customer service. The masses will be served by next generation free dating sites in the future.

OKCupid is really a quiz site with dating elements.. kinda like MySpace is a social network but has dating elements. I think focus is important, people don’t want to waste time on a pseudo-dating destination if there are better alternatives

]]> By: derek http://gigaom.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82023 derek Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:11:48 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/okcupid-raises-6m/#comment-82023 <p>these guys have hit on something interesting.. a completely location based mobile dating service.. you text your address in and it give you hits of people who are close to you.. much more spontaneous than match or eharmony</p> <p><a href="http://www.meetmoi.com/1/meetmoi/welcome?k=blog" rel="nofollow">MeetMoi.com</a></p> these guys have hit on something interesting.. a completely location based mobile dating service.. you text your address in and it give you hits of people who are close to you.. much more spontaneous than match or eharmony

MeetMoi.com

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