Dating Sites - the Next Bubble?

Joining the list of Match.com and all the other online dating services: overweightdate.com, a self-explanatory service for those of a certain size. Besides the fact that this sites homepage only shows the svelte (rather than the substantial), I gotta think that this is a harbinger of a bust. It's great that the profusion and efficiency of online dating is removing the stigma of personal ads, but I can't imagine that there are enough desperate lovers out there to maintain all these companies.

Of course, many of these companies promise particular advantages: better listings, better matching, and so forth. But there's a profusion, that's undeniable.

Which, as a married man, makes for an interesting diversion: Watching a shakeout happen. It's been a long time since there was a rush towards a "space" on the Internet, where "eyeballs" and "community" help merit a business model. So pick your favorites - Yahoo Personals, uDate.com, etc., etc., - and let the shakeout begin.

Posted by thomasgoetz, February 4, 2004 07:34 PM | | TrackBack