Dating 2.0 Picks Up Speed

WIRED -- Dec 20 -- Internet dating drew in 22.6 million people this year, according to comScore. JupiterResearch predicts that the online dating industry will generate more than $900 million a year in the US by 2011. SpeedDate, Say-hey-hey and WooMe offer quick registration, free memberships and a date within a minute. Others, like Ice Brkr and Crazy Blind Date, rely on text messaging to coordinate speedy meetings. WooMe allows members to create short group-video-chat sessions. With Say-hey-hey, users upload a YouTube-style video profile, and viewers interested in a date ping the posters with videos of their own. Nate Elliott, a senior analyst with JupiterResearch, thinks the new convergence of social networking and dating sites is not necessarily permanent. "We just haven't seen these types of free dating sites have a significant impact on the dating industry", says Elliott. FULL ARTICLE @ WIRED