The days of browsing static dating profiles are nearing the end of their decade-old lifespan. Hallelujah and good riddance, I say. 2009 was the year when the concept of a newsprint-style static dating site profile began to gave way to a new breed of services based on the idea that sharing more of our personal tastes and preferences could lead to a better way to know whether or not that person “just as comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt who spends Friday night either out with friend or on the couch” is actually someone worth meeting.
Static dating profiles are dumb, in terms of capabilities, awareness and ability to search, filter and communicate. This is part of the reason why online dating efficiency remains so low.
As someone who has been a champion of dynamic profiles for many years (along with the associated idea that online dating has needed to get more social like with Thread, Gelato and Smartdate), I welcome this change in not only consumer behavior but dating site’s desire to make profiles more dynamic. That said, I’m still waiting for a Facebook application that truly takes advantage of activity streams and all of the other info-droppings we leave all over social networking sites.
Witness the thousands of blog posts and mainstream media mentions of how we’re moving from browsing web pages to being immersed in each others activity streams, feeds and friend’s networks. It’s baked into our online DNA to share, discuss, rant and expose our true selves.
Some people are brilliant when it comes to making the best of the generally snore-inducing questions dating sites ask their members. Unfortunately, this segment of singles society represents a fraction of the number of people online looking for love. “Live”, or dynamic profiles, mean less filling out forms and more talking about doing stuff and what’s on your mind, which is much easier for most people than the deer-in-the-headlights feeling of sitting down in front of an empty “About Me” textbox.
Dating will continue to become more social, distributed and dynamic. Which dating sites are going to capitalize on these factors and grow (and more importantly show that they are more effective than) the top 10 dating sites?
