General News

Online dating algorithms have gotten a lot of attention (and criticism) because they’re the basis of how matchmaking works. Many dating apps are secretive about their matching process, but traditionally, algorithms match people on the basis of profile information, questionnaires, and user preferences.

But according to a recent article by Gizmodo, online dating companies can collect more information about their customers through analyzing user behavior, which includes what users do on social media as well as on the dating app. Companies are now starting to use this behavioral data for matchmaking purposes rather than relying on profiles and user preferences.

eHarmony, Match and OkCupid are known for their long surveys and profile questions, which they maintain helps them more accurately assess potential matches. But dating apps like Tinder, Bumble and LoveFlutter prefer mining users’ social media streams, bypassing questions and looking to online behavior.

It’s been a big year for The League. The members-only dating app for “high-achieving” singles launched for Android in January, and has expanded to more than 20 cities including London, Toronto, Miami, Detroit, Denver, Seattle, and Portland.

Only a lucky few are accepted onto the app, after passing through a strict screening process that now requires applicants to be “attractive enough to at least look good in black-and-white photos.”

That’s right, The League is going monochrome.

The company announced Monochrome View in a blog post on October 24. The new feature displays every profile’s first picture in black and white, requiring users to swipe through all the pictures if they wish to see the same photo in full color. The question is: why?

Save traveling to an untouched tribe in the Amazonian rainforest, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of Match Group.

The company was a pioneer in the industry, becoming the first major dating site to register a domain in 1995. Today Match Group offers dating products in 38 languages across more than 190 countries, and boasts a portfolio of over 45 brands including Match, OkCupid, Tinder, PlentyOfFish and Our Time.

So what keeps Match Group on top, more than two decades later?

Free communication is back! Starting Thursday November 9^th and running to the end of day on Monday November 13^th eHarmony members can communicate with their matches for free in the United States.

To send messages at no cost on eHarmony all you need to do is create an eHarmony account. No credit card is required, just your time to create a profile and fill out the personality questionnaire. This process takes about 30 minutes and when complete you will receive your first batch of matches. On eHarmony you cannot search for members. Instead they send you a number of high quality matches everyday for you to review. If you find one or more you like you can then go ahead and send them a message. The only thing not included during this promotion are profile photos.

For more about this online dating company, please check out our review of eHarmony.

Most everyone in America has heard of Tinder, even if they haven’t used it. Many more swipe-friendly dating apps have followed in its popular wake, but still, singles are finding the dating app scene to be a little daunting, more than a little tiring, and would just like to meet someone more organically.

A new study by YouGov Omnibus found that almost half of American singles would prefer to meet a romantic partner in real life rather than through an app like Tinder. According to the study, even Millennials – the generation that brought online dating into the mainstream – prefer to meet potential dates at a bar, coffee shop, or even being set up by friends and family members over swiping right on a dating app.

Researchers surveyed over 1000 single Americans across the U.S. to find out how many have been set up on a date by friends or family, how many would like to be set up again, and how many would rather meet online.

PositiveSingles recently acquired PozMatch.com a HIV positive community designed to match their members together. PozMatch.com has been online since 1998.

Of the 1.2 million members PositiveSingles has over 200 thousand members who are HIV positive. This makes it a good fit to take over the PozMatch community. PositiveSingles was founded in 2002 and has become the largest dating service for singles who have an STD. The service can be accessed via the website at PositiveSingles.com and by using iOS and Android apps (found on their respective stores).

For more information you can read the press release or check out our review of PositiveSingles.