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Is Marriage Good For Your Health?
NY TIMES - Apr 12 - In 1858, a British epidemiologist William Farr set out to study what he called the “conjugal condition” of the people of France. He divided the adult population into three distinct categories: the “married,” the “celibate,” and the “widowed”. Farr analyzed the relative mortality rates of the three groups at various ages. The study showed that the unmarried died from disease in undue proportion to their married counterparts. And the widowed, Farr found, fared worst of all. Married people, the data seemed to show, lived longer, healthier lives. In the 150 years since Farr’s work, scientists have continued to document the “marriage advantage”: the fact that married people, on average, appear to be healthier and live longer than unmarried people. But one recent study suggests that a stressful marriage can be as bad for the heart as a regular smoking habit and that single people who have never married have better health than those who married and then divorced. Some of today’s most interesting research on the relationship between marriage and health is being led by a pair of researchers at Ohio State University College of Medicine. The duo, Ronald Glaser and Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, are also, fittingly, married to each other. Published in 2005 in The Archives of General Psychiatry, the Glasers’ findings help explain epidemiological data showing that couples in troubled marriages appear to be more susceptible to illness than happier couples. The results may also have practical relevance for surgical patients, for instance, waiting for incisions to heal. But most important, the study offered compelling evidence that a hostile fight with your husband or wife isn’t just bad for your relationship. It can have a profound toll on your body. Last year, The Journal of Health and Social Behavior published a study tracking the marital history and health of 9,000 men and women in their 50s and 60s. The study found that when the married people became single again — either by divorce or because of the death of a spouse — they suffered a decline in physical health from which they never fully recovered. These men and women had 20% more chronic health issues, like heart disease and diabetes, than those who were still married to their first husband or wife by middle age. The divorced and widowed also had aged less gracefully, reporting more problems going up and down stairs or walking longer distances. FULL ARTICLE @ NY TIMES
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Swiss Formula For A Successful Marriage
7NEWS - Mar 25 - The divorce rate in Switzerland is ~25%, which is ~20% points below the rate here in the United States. Swiss statisticians said they've developed a formula to increase a couple’s chances of attaining a happy marriage. They said the ideal wife she should be five years younger than her husband and come from the same cultural background. Researchers also said the wife should be exactly 27% smarter than her husband.
The full article was originally published at 7News, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: That explains everything. Irena and I are deliciously happy, 5 years and 2 babies into our marriage. She's 7 years younger and has an IQ about 25% higher than mine. Trust the Swiss to come up with this formula. Hmm, I wonder how Basisnote is doing on SwissFriends.ch?
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For Web’s New Wave, Sharing Details Is The Point
NY TIMES (Front page) - Apr 23 - People are becoming more relaxed about privacy, having come to recognize that publicizing little pieces of information about themselves can result in serendipitous conversations. Mr. Brooks, a 38-year-old consultant for online dating sites, publishes his travel schedule on Dopplr. His DNA profile is available on 23andMe. And on Blippy, he makes public everything he spends with his Chase Mastercard, along with his spending at Netflix, iTunes and Amazon.com. “It’s very important to me to push out my character and hopefully my good reputation as far as possible, and that means being open,” he said, dismissing any privacy concerns by adding, “I simply have nothing to hide.” Blippy, which opened last fall, was the first site to introduce the notion of publishing credit card and other purchases. Last month it attracted ~125,000 visitors and closed an investment round of $11M from venture capitalists. “Ten years ago, people were afraid to buy stuff online. Now they’re sharing everything they buy,” said Barry Borsboom, a student at Leiden University in the Netherlands, who this year created a site called Please Rob Me. The site collected and published Foursquare updates that indicated when people were out socializing and therefore away from their homes. FULL ARTICLE @ NY TIMES. Also in Argentinas LA NACION, SJ MERCURY NEWS.
Mark Brooks: Will people share this kind of extraneous information in their internet dating profile? Should they? Your comments please.
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Do Singles Today Have Too Many Choices?
SEA COAST TIME - Apr 23 - A psychologist named Barry Schwartz has written a book called "The Paradox of Choice." The basic premise of his book is that the number of choices that people face in today's world creates what he terms a "paralysis of choice." The more choices we have, the more difficult the choice. We end up less satisfied with the result of the choice than we would be if we had fewer options to choose from. Between matchmaking services, online dating services, speed dating programs, and various singles activity groups, many single and divorced men and women have such a plethora of people to meet that they find it difficult to settle on just one person, always wondering who else is out there. What is most interesting is that single people with fewer choices often not only seem to settle down with one person quicker than many "serial daters," but they also seem happier, more contented, and more appreciative of that person. FULL ARTICLE @ SEA COAST TIME
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Cheater Registry: Something New To Worry About
ASYLUM - Apr 23 - Cheater Registry is a new website that is making it possible for men and women to upload names of cheaters, sordid details of relationships gone wrong and even photographic proof. Since starting a little over a month ago, the site has seen more than 10,000 sign-ups and 100 non-celebrity postings. The creators of the site acknowledge that there is a great amount of responsibility that comes with such sensitive information. That's why all proof is vetted before posts to go live. It could be video, text, the last three digits of their phone number or photographic evidence.
The full article was originally published at Asylum, but is no longer available.
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BBC London, Joanne Good Radio Show With Dr. Gonzaga (eHarmony) And Fabrice LeParc (SmartDate)
BBC RADIO - Apr 16 - 10 years ago very few people ever confessed to online dating and now 1 in 5 people meet online. But what actually goes into finding the perfect partner? Dr. Gonzaga is part of the team of scientists working on research for eHarmony.
Joanne: Do you actually work in a laboratory?
Dr. Gonzaga: I do. We have a lab space downstairs where we bring in couples who are engaged or married and we interview them about their relationship to figure out what makes their relationship work, what makes them strong and satisfied.
Joanne: What do you think are the most important things for making a long term relationship work?
Dr. Gonzaga: One of the most important things is sharing fundamental personality characteristics, values and interests.
Joanne: You use 29 dimensions of compatibility at eHarmony?
Dr. Gonzaga: That’s correct. The happiest couples tend to share 29 dimensions much more often than less happy couples do. The 29 dimensions include things like religion, height, and body language, energy level, etc?
Joanne: It seems that there is not quite so much emphasis on physical looks.
Dr. Gonzaga: You also have to feel that connection, that spark, that attraction to someone but it’s very hard to figure out what each individual person is attracted to because everybody is different.
Joanne: How many matches are given to each person?
Dr. Gonzaga: We give people 2, 3 or 4 matches per day.
Who doesn’t want a long term relationship but just wants a bit of fun? Who doesn’t want to sit and fill in page after page after page of questions? Somebody who doesn’t want to do that is Fabrice LeParc from Smartdate.com.
Joanne: Fabrice, why are people single?
Fabrice: I think people are being a little too demanding nowadays. And also I don’t think they rely enough on their social environment. At Smartdate, we’re trying to reinvent the way people date online.
Joanne: So you’re saying that many people know people they can be attracted to, they just haven’t bothered looking at them?
Fabrice: Yes. Smartdate is a tool that allows you to search through all the social networks you already have.
Joanne: No wonder it’s called Smart. Half the work has been done for you. The previous guest, we were talking to from eHarmony, was saying that too much attention is placed on looks. But when I look at your website, it is very aesthetically pleasing and there are no gargoyles and there's very beautiful people on it.
Fabrice: Let’s face it. People want to look at pictures and if you’re in a bar you’re going to be attracted to looks. Looks matter and pictures matter. We put together a clever tool called SmartSearch. This is exactly what Amazon.com does for books.
Joanne: Smartdate is in 6 languages, is that right? So it’s truly global.
Fabrice: Yes, we’re just launching now. You don’t need to meet a neighbor to be happy, you can also talk to somebody who happens to be in England right now and maybe you get along and you get on the phone…
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Randodate.com For Sale
Randomate.com - 53,000 members (including "Speed Dating 2.0" on Facebook and "Speed Dating 2.0" profile app on Ning)
Randodate.com - white label service w/ Network based app on Ning and Orkut
MixYourWorlds.com - 474,000 members
MixYourWorlds.com - 474,000 members
The sites are still profitable, generating about $6000 a year. Contact Art if you are interested.
See all posts on Randodate.com
See all posts on Randomate.com
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Love At First Sight: Is It The Beginning Of The End?
PARSHIP - Apr 21 - Men who believe in ‘love at first sight’ and ‘instant chemistry’ are three times more prone to infidelity in their next relationship than men who take at least two weeks to fall in love, according to a new report by Parship. For the majority of single people – 75% of men and 80% of women – it takes at least five dates over several weeks to decide if they want to start a relationship. This survey indicates that there is a close relationship between infidelity and impulsiveness. Of the 22% of men who admitted to infidelity, 67% confessed to two or more affairs, while 14% had been unfaithful on at least ten different occasions. Of the 20% of women who admitted to a previous indiscretion in a relationship, the majority (60%) said they had been unfaithful just once, with 22% admitting to twice and 16% to three times or more. Just 5% admitted to being unfaithful on at least ten separate occasions.
Mark Brooks: Chemistry and love are very different. Chemistry is more sexual and pheromone based. You can have chemistry with someone, but not be compatible. The likes of eHarmony, PerfectMatch, Chemistry and Parship aim to help people find out if their values and characters are compatible for long term harmony. On the other hand, couples may be compatible, but not have 'chemistry.' Meaning, they may not have a physical and pheromone attraction when they meet for a first date. It happens all the time. Couples get on well online, and then the first date bombs because they don't feel attracted. The chances of two people feeling attracted on a first date will increase if they have a chance to talk and get to know each another before they meet. However, if they share too much, it can be detrimental for the first meeting. People need to know the basics about each other. According to Professor Dan Ariely of Duke University (and MIT) The 'halo effect' kicks in. Singles tend to cast ideals onto the person they're about to meet which improves their openness and chances of having chemistry. Its good for them to have some areas of mystery. A key value that dating sites offer is helping singles cover the 'showstopper questions' before meeting. i.e. do they have kids, smoke, drink, want to get married, have more kids. Along with their religion, political sway, and general sexual preferences.
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JetBlue's Exclusive JetPride Flight
PR NEWSWIRE - Apr 20 - JetBlue Airways teams up with Joie de Vivre Hotels and myPartner.com to offer Bay Area travelers the most fabulous way to travel to Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride -- JetPride, an exclusive flight featuring renowned comedian, Pam Ann, who will serve as the flight's honorary purser. A portion of the proceeds from JetPride will be donated to The Gay and Lesbian Center of Long Beach. FULL ARTICLE @ PR NEWSWIRE
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Match.com's 15th Anniversary
FOX BUSINESS - Apr 21 - In 15 years, Match.com became one of the biggest players in the online dating space. Here is the timeline: How Match.com got where it is.
1995 – Match.com launched on April 21 by parent company Electric Classifieds, a brainchild of entrepreneur Gary Kremen. Membership is $9.95/month.
1996 – By Oct, there are 100,000 registrations.
1997 – Katherine Arce and Boyd Bullough become Match.com’s 150th couple to walk down the aisle and take the vows of matrimony. CUC International Inc. acquires Match.com from Electric Classifieds.
1998 – Membership is $12.95/month
1999 – Match.com acquires One & Only Network, a leading provider of online matchmaking with a 130,000-member affiliate program. Membership is $16.95/month.
2000 – 156,945 paying subscribers.
2001 – Match.com partners with AOL and MSN. Membership is $24.95/month.
2002 – Match.com launches internationally with the acquisition of Soulmates.com, making Match.com available in 40 countries.
2003 – Match.com re-launches their site. MatchMobile is launched in February.
2004 – Success.match.com is launched.
2005 – Match.com launches Happen Magazine, the online magazine focused exclusively on dating and relationships.
2006 – MindFindBind program launched, created with the help of Dr. Phil McGraw giving members access to the action-oriented, plain-talk dating and relationship insights of Dr. Phil. Chemistry.com is launched as a premium brand to Match.com.
2007 – Match debuted their “It’s OK to Look Campaign”. Chemistry.com launches the “Come as you are” campaign outing eHarmony’s rejection policies.
2008 – Despite the stock market crash, Match.com experienced their largest membership growth over the last seven years in Nov.
2009 – Match.com announces the sale of their European operations to Meetic and acquires People Media, a leading operator of targeted dating sites, from American Capital Ltd.. Match.com launches mobile application for iPhone and iPhone touch and Palm Pre.
2010 – Membership is $34.99/month, Match.com acquires Singlesnet.com.
The full article was originally published at Fox Business, but is no longer available.
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Match.com Study: 17% Of Married Couples Met On A Dating Site
Key Findings:
- 17% of couples married in the last 3 years met on a dating site.
- In the last year, more than twice as many marriages occurred between people who met on a dating site than met in bars, at clubs and other social events combined.
- Twice as many recently married couples met on Match.com than the site that ranked second.
- Twice as many recently married couples met on Match.com than the site that ranked second.
Dating sites included in survey: Chemistry.com, eHarmony.com, MSN Dating & Personals, Singlesnet.com, True.com, Yahoo! Personals, PlentyofFish.com and Other
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iovation Named Internet Fraud Prevention Tool For BoonEx
BUSINESS WIRE - Apr 20 - iovation, provider of the world’s first device reputation service for preventing online fraud and abuse, partners with BoonEx, a white-label platform provider for community, social networking and dating sites. iovation ReputationManager will protect the BoonEx community against fraud and abuse, such as financial fraud, spam, predators, cyber bullies, phishing, identity theft, scams and solicitations.
The full article was originally published at BusinessWire, but is no longer available.
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Ireland’s Demographic Suited To Online Dating
PRESS RELEASE - Apr 20 - Online dating is more attractive than ever these days, and Irish people are starting to catch on to the concept, according to Grainne Barry, Managing Director of AnotherFriend.com. The Irish online dating industry is experiencing double-digit growth YOY. Figures from the 2006 Census show that Ireland has the youngest population in AnotherFriend.com, the country’s largest dating site, are looking to the nation’s ‘most single’ city for the launch of their dating ‘Roadshow’ events. “Galway is the perfect city to play host to the event, which will offer single people in the area the opportunity to meet and mingle in a friendly atmosphere", said Grainne Barry. AnotherFriend.com caters for single Irish people who want to meet someone for fun and friendship, or love and romance. There are 420,000+ registered members.
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OKCupid: Why You Should Never Pay For Online Dating
OKCUPID BLOG - Apr 7 - eHarmony claims over 20M members on their homepage, and their CEO, Greg Waldorf, reiterates that number regularly in interviews. This sounds awesome until you realize that most of these people can’t reply, because only paying customers are allowed to message. eHarmony closely guard their number of paid subscribers. We are able to deduce their base from known information. eHamorny yearly revenue was $250M in 2009, the minimum average monthly fee is $29.18 so they have at most 719,652 subscribers. That means only 1/30th of the "20 million users" they advertise is someone you can actually talk to. Match.com's numbers are just as grim. It turns out you are 12.4 times more likely to get married this year if you don't subscribe to Match.com.
The full article was originally published at OkCupid Blog, but is no longer available.
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