Techcrunch on online dating:
Yahoo Personals is the largest dating site on the Internet (Match.com is second), so when they make a move, others in the industry notice.
Today they will announce a new feature called Quick View, and it’s designed to let users scan for potential mates more quickly. Instead of scrolling up and down to view profile information, members can simply select from fifteen different traits (non-smoker, enjoys traveling, etc.) and call them date “makers” or “breakers.” They can then view profiles organized by whether or not they include a deal breaker. It’s a good way to weed out those undesirables more quickly.
Certainly this stuff helps some people find a match. But basic human nature seems to be more visual when it comes to attraction. People don’t necessarily want to fill out an excrutiatingly long personality profile to help them sort through potential match.
More from TechCrunch:
In a poll included with that post I asked whether looks or personality are more important. A huge majority, 71%, of the 698 responses so far indicated that “looks come first,” while a mere 18% put personality first. If TechCrunch readership is any indication of the dating pool in general (I have a feeling it isn’t), startups like YesNoMayB and HotOrNot’s MeetMe, which put an emphasis on looks before personality, have a very bright future. Note to VC’s: Invest immediately.
