by Zima
After the speedy first quarter of the year the world of online dating has finally dropped the pace. Let’s be honest, April was kind of a slow month. Althougt that did not stop us from updating SkaDate dating script to 9.0.2555 version (get it, if you still haven’t).
I’m tempted to say that last month SkaDate Dating Software blog had more exiting news than the industry overall; what with a posts about combating spam, predator screening analysis, addressing piracy issues, explaining Sugar Daddy niche popularity, and looking into celebrities with online dating experience.
Well, judge for yourself. Our own blog posts are at the bottom of the page, right below the slideshow of the top ten industry stories of April. See if you’ve missed anything.
1. Viral Spread
I had to put this story first, since it was all over the place last month. Not only it went viral online, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, and others picked it up as well. So, wanna know what to do to get that kind of exposure? Set up a profile with Match.com, compile a spreadsheet meticulously chronicling and rating all of you dates and matches, and finally send it to the girl with the top scores. Then wait and count down to the start of the inevitable media backlash. You are online, dude...
2. iDate Events
We have more stuff organized by great folks over at iDate. One of the iDate Startup events went down on April 18 in San Francisco, while two more were announced for Toronto (May 2) and NYC (May 17). These conferences are a must for new dating startups and affiliates to expand their networks, get new contacts, and obtain first-hand advise from industry pros. Sign up for one of the dates if you haven't already.
3. Cost Effective
I've got more helpful business advise, this time courtesy Agora Cosmopolitan. A new study shows that while advertising your dating site, it is more cost effective to invest money into advertorials rather than banners. Makes sense, but only if you'll be able to maintain a constant stream of content-driven columns.
4. Improving Safety
Speaking of advertising. National Association of Human Trafficking Victim Advocates (NAHTVA) says Google should halt all online dating ads until the company can guarantee none of them are for human trafficking. Luckily, Google is taking a less radical approach and instead spends millions for improving their screening ads system.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers in Illinois approved a bill that would require local Internet dating services to post disclaimers saying whether they conduct members' background checks. The bill is in senate now.
5. Too Far?
Opponents of all recent legal initiatives that supposedly will work miracles towards improving online dating safety say the new regulations are going too far. In fact, the threat of online dating predators, or sex offenders on social networks and gaming communities seems to be greatly overblown, at least according to the Internet Safety Technical Force research data.
6. Questionable Science
And we are back to square one in the ongoing debate between scientist who say online dating algorithms do not work, and online dating sites that are still using same algorithms quite successfully. In April it was the turn of Psychological Science in the Public Interest (PSPI) turn to say the wizardry behind virtual matchmaking is useless.
This argument quickly fell apart when a new dating service Yoke.me showed that simply pulling data from Facebook profiles can place two potential partners in the most comfortable environment. Which obviously is a big step towards setting up a healthy relationship.
7. Next Step
Yoke.me might be new, but I have even cooler trends for you here. How about MatchPuppy.com - an online dating site for dogs! Seriously, it's not Pet Dating, which we've covered in Niche 101 series; it's not for humans anymore. This time it's for actual dogs. So, if you are a dog and reading this blog post, you now know where to go if you need to find a bitch. Woof luck.
8. Seniors Return
I don't know what is it with seniors and spring-summer online dating season, but I know that they are getting more active each year around this time. April 2012 wasn't an exception and now we have Martha T. DiGioia and Robert Ruggles, two widowed seniors, creating a wonderful guide to Internet dating for their peers. You hear that, young breed? While you fighting scientific wars and putting together spreadsheets, seniors are successfully selling Internet Dating Guides. What's next? Software Engineering and Corporate Blog Writing?
9. Glitter World
I'm glad to report that for once we have a decent shot at having online dating portrayed properly in Hollywood. Rejoice, as none other than Simon Curtis (My Week with Marilyn) is taking on the online dating anthology Click to Connect. The early word is the film might be something like Love Actually only online, and in my humble opinion that's really exciting.
10. Doomed Love
This had to happen eventually and I am really surprised it took it so long to actually break out. Still, here it is - dating for the Apocalypse of the 2012. Looks like SurvivalistSingles are planning to, you know, survive after all, which is pretty cool, since they will have to repopulate the Earth...
Ehm, but let's be realistic. Come December, that wouldn't be the thought on your mind. In fact, it could be the last month we ever have, so it's a good idea not to be single by that time and be prepared. For such an occasion there's PrepperDating... Whew, now I think we are set...
SkaDate April Blog Posts
More SkaDate Roundups
Tags: Misc, monthly roundup, online dating
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on Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 at 6:00 AM and is filed under Misc.
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