NY TIMES - Nov 3 - The idea of meeting someone through a mobile app may seem like a risky proposition. But the operators of these services say they are aware of the potential pitfalls and allow users to control how much information they divulge. Some of the apps are stand-alone, while others are new features of established dating sites; including Blendr, OkCupid Locals and HowAboutWe. OkCupid Locals is part of OkCupid, a larger dating site, which says a tenth of its 2.5M active members use the location features in the mobile app. HowAboutWe began a little over a year ago as a site where people post suggestions for dates they would like to have.The trailblazer among these services is Grindr, which is geared toward gay men and has signed up 2.6M members. In late summer its creators released Blendr, aimed at a broader audience.
by Jenna Wortham
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These apps attract a certain kind of user. The more adventurous, and the more amorous. So in some ways, they act as filters.
Posted by: Mark Brooks | Nov 04, 2011 at 07:35 AM
It seems like mobile proximity dating is trending to be used more by the younger dater (20's) while the older singles including the boomer generation will continue to use the desk top pc and website method to search for dates. It will be interesting to see how the on-line dating industry adapts to these trends...what will happen to the traditional dating website for example?
Posted by: Mike | Nov 06, 2011 at 03:49 PM