Pals Playing Matchmaker

MERCURY NEWS -- Jan 18 -- Singles on the lookout for a partner are setting aside Internet searches and returning to the matchmaker. Unlike the gossipy Yenta of "Fiddler on the Roof," today's matchmakers are often tech-savvy amateur cupids who run through a range of social circles. Relationship expert Jeff Cohen, author of Dating Inc., says that the diminished novelty of online dating, along with the perception that not everyone is completely honest in their profiles, has prompted more people to put their faith in a matchmaker and try blind dating. "In the last five or so years, online dating was huge, but now you're starting to see a shift back to this way of meeting people," says Cohen.

Mark Brooks: Match is moving towards high end, hands on, matchmaking. Will the movie 'Hitch,' with Will Smith, inspire a new billion dollar industry in the USA?