Online Dating Industry Journal

Dr. James Houran to be on Match Matrix Show Monday

(Online Dating Industry Journal) Dr. James Houran, featured columnist for Online Dating Magazine, will be appearing on the live Internet Match Matrix radio show on Monday, October 12 at 6pm PST (9pm EST). Since the show is live, people can call in with their questions. Among the topics will be The Modern Love Study currently underway to measure success factors in online relationships and offline relationships. Also being discussed will be relationship assessment tools and what people need to know about them.

You'll be able to access the show at this link.

Expanded True.com Lawsuit?

(Online Dating Industry Journal) The class action lawsuit filed against True.com in 2007 may expand to include allegations of wire fraud and bank fraud if the plaintiffs get their way.

The Online Dating Newsletter first published the story which you can read here.

Online Dating Newsletter Relaunching Next Week

(Online Dating Industry Journal) The Online Dating Newsletter, on hiatus for nearly a year, is relaunching next Tuesday, complete with a new look, format, and features. You can subscribe to the newsletter by going to the Subscribe page of the Online Dating Newsletter Website.

The newsletter is now weekly (previously it was twice a month) and features dating tips, dating advice, and dating ideas.

Sheila Dolan Responds to Match.com Termination

(Online Dating Industry Journal) Back on November 24, we told you about Sheila Dolan, one of the Satellite Sisters, being kicked off Match.com while producing a dating series documenting her quest for love. The series is called "Summer of Love" and the episode where Sheila talks about her Match.com experience has just been posted at the Online Dating News Blog.

You can view the video here.

Same Sex Site Hits Sour Note for eHarmony

(Online Dating Industry Journal) The Los Angeles Business Journal has written an in-depth article on eHarmony titled "Same Sex Site Hits Sour Note for eHarmony" that examines the financial impact the company's recent settlement with the State of New Jersey will have on eHarmony.

From the article:

"...Warren’s stand against same-sex dating and the close ties he cultivated with the conservative Christian movement in eHarmony’s early years endeared him to the religious right. They helped make eHarmony, with more than 20 million registered users over its history, one of the top three dating sites on the Internet alongside Match.com LLC and Yahoo Inc.’s YahooPersonals.com. But some of the same conservative groups that used to praise the company are now criticizing it for what they see as a betrayal..."

Click here to read the article.

Match.com Kicks Satellite Sister Off Service

(Online Dating Industry Journal) Match.com kicked one of the Satellite Sisters, Sheila Dolan, off of its service for what it called "solicitation". Sheila denies she was soliciting anything, only warning prospective dates that they might be filmed for her Summer of Love series that she was putting together. Her series chronicles her search for love online. You can read more about it at the Online Dating News Blog (click here to go straight to the story).

Do's and Dont's of Online Dating

(Online Dating Industry Journal) The Huffington Post has posted and interesting / entertaining article about the do's and dont's of online dating. Here's an excerpt:

"DO learn the lingo of dating profiles. For instance:

    * He describes himself as 'cuddly.'

     Translation:  chubby.

    * He writes, 'I've been told I'm very handsome.'

     Translation:  by his mother.

* He's 'Executive Vice-President of Strategic Planning for a Major Corporation.' Translation: he's self-employed in some cockamamie business, headquartered in his basement..."

Click here to read the entire article.

Online Daters Fall For Witty Lines

(Online Dating Industry Journal) Rosemary Desmond, of the AAP news service, has written an article about research indicating the danger and ease of which women fall for witty lines online.

From the article:

"Internet daters beware - witty emails don't lead to love, an Australian researcher says.

Too many people, particularly women, who go online in search of relationships fall for a clever line, said Queensland University of Technology (QUT) relationships psychologist Matthew Bambling.

They quickly formed emotional attachments to unsuitable people they had not even met in real life..."

Click here to read the full article.

Joe's Comments
It's easy to form attachments online before you meet someone when you've been communicating with them for awhile. This researcher recommends only a couple of emails before you meet for coffee to determine compatibility. It kind of flies in the face of what many online daters practice - getting to know someone in-depth online before meeting. There seems to be pros and cons to both, but as this article points out, waiting longer only sets you up for a bigger disappointment. Not everyone I know would agree with that.

Online Dating Happiness and Headaches

(Online Dating Industry Journal) WTNH has published an article about the experience of two online daters that met via eHarmony and how the process of online dating leads to both happiness and headaches.

The article also addresses the growing dissatisfaction of online daters with online dating services, quoting Howard Schwartz from the Better Business Bureau. From the article:

"Schwartz says the Better Business Bureau has been processing a skyrocketing number of complaints. Some people are unhappy with the results.   

'They're being matched with people that are inappropriate -- not even close to their criteria,' Schwartz said.

Many are unhappy with the process such as 'automatically renewing the membership when people think they're only signing up for a month, rude customer service,  difficulty in obtaining the so-called fine-print,' Schwartz concluded..."

Click here to read the entire article.

Joe's Comments
The industry can't keep ignoring consumer complaints. It will reach a breaking point if not addressed or drive more people to free online dating services.

Jewish Online Dating in Australia

(Online Dating Industry Journal) The Australian Jewish News has published an article about Jewish online dating, complete with recommendations like "don't act desperate" when contacted by someone. It also addresses the Jewish online dating scene in Australia.

From the article:

"...there are thousands of Jewish singles in Australia who are looking for Mr or Miss Right.

At the moment, Australian Jewish dating website J-Junction has 920 people on its books. J-Date, an American-based dating website, has a significant number of Australian Jews signed up and there are also Jewish singles who advertise on secular dating sites..."

Click here to read the entire article.

Joe's Comments
The article says J-Junction has... uh... 920 people on its books. But their Website says quite a few more...