4 ms·

It probably started when they sold to The Match Group a while back. I used it a little back in 2014, and again in 2021. The second time around, it was very di

It probably started when they sold to The Match Group a while back. I used it a little back in 2014, and again in 2021. The second time around, it was very different. I don't know of any dating companies that focus on matching people versus optimizing for revenue.

Gualdrapo 2y ago
Are you implying there are companies that don't focus on optimizing for revenue?
- RandomBacon 2y ago
  I mean, if I had the time, I would create a non-profit to do so. And yes, there are probably small mom-and-pop types of businesses that just want to keep their status quo. I believe I've heard a few years ago, that at least one country operates a dating service for their citizens. I can't find it now, but apparently the Tokyo Metropolitan Government just launched their own dating app, "TOKYO Enmusubi"
  - AbstractH24 2y ago
    Are you saying non-profits aren't concerned with trying to generate earned income to stay afloat and grow their impact? Different words, same problem.
- MassPikeMike 2y ago
  Perhaps not. But you could still imagine a for-profit matchmaking service that would do a better job of aligning its interests with those of its clients. For example, it could collect only a small fee upfront with an agreement that if you meet Mr. or Ms. Right you'll release a larger fee held in escrow. I imagine that would need to be quite personalized and high touch, but it would be an appealing contrast to standard dating sites, which have interests diametrically opposed to those of their users: a user who makes a long-term match will stop paying the membership fee, so the site owner has no real incentive to help the user do anything but churn.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
robocat 2y ago
Unfortunately most consumers are unwilling to pay what something is worth to them. Businesses are often the same so it isn't just consumer behaviour. Meeting the right person should be worth a lot, and we should be happy to pay thousands for that. Of course the profit depends on the user statistics too: I'm not sure what the economic term for profit thresholds for power law masses versus targeting - where say lots of users with a low profits per user (say advertising) beats reasonable profits per user (say kagle).
- thaumasiotes 2y ago
  > Meeting the right person should be worth a lot, and we should be happy to pay thousands for that. We're happy to pay much more than thousands to marry the right person. Meeting the right person doesn't do anything for you; why would you pay thousands for it?
  - HappMacDonald 2y ago
    Well, you can't marry who you never meet. What would it be worth for you to pay a bribe to a time traveler not to go into the past to prevent your parents from ever meeting? ;)
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - RandomBacon 2y ago
    It made the news a while back when someone was offering $10k USD to anyone who introduced them to someone he would marry. I would do the same, but I don't know how to make it feasible without sounding terrible. I do often let people know I'm open to matchmaking if they know any women my age.
    - MostlyStable 2y ago
      It seems like these dating services could hold the bulk of the money in escrow pending the marriage. Maybe you pay a few hundred up front, but a few thousand in escrow, and when you get married, it gets paid out.

Gualdrapo 2y ago

Are you implying there are companies that don't focus on optimizing for revenue?

RandomBacon 2y ago
I mean, if I had the time, I would create a non-profit to do so. And yes, there are probably small mom-and-pop types of businesses that just want to keep their status quo. I believe I've heard a few years ago, that at least one country operates a dating service for their citizens. I can't find it now, but apparently the Tokyo Metropolitan Government just launched their own dating app, "TOKYO Enmusubi"
- AbstractH24 2y ago
  Are you saying non-profits aren't concerned with trying to generate earned income to stay afloat and grow their impact? Different words, same problem.
MassPikeMike 2y ago
Perhaps not. But you could still imagine a for-profit matchmaking service that would do a better job of aligning its interests with those of its clients. For example, it could collect only a small fee upfront with an agreement that if you meet Mr. or Ms. Right you'll release a larger fee held in escrow. I imagine that would need to be quite personalized and high touch, but it would be an appealing contrast to standard dating sites, which have interests diametrically opposed to those of their users: a user who makes a long-term match will stop paying the membership fee, so the site owner has no real incentive to help the user do anything but churn.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

robocat 2y ago

Unfortunately most consumers are unwilling to pay what something is worth to them. Businesses are often the same so it isn't just consumer behaviour. Meeting the right person should be worth a lot, and we should be happy to pay thousands for that. Of course the profit depends on the user statistics too: I'm not sure what the economic term for profit thresholds for power law masses versus targeting - where say lots of users with a low profits per user (say advertising) beats reasonable profits per user (say kagle).

thaumasiotes 2y ago
> Meeting the right person should be worth a lot, and we should be happy to pay thousands for that. We're happy to pay much more than thousands to marry the right person. Meeting the right person doesn't do anything for you; why would you pay thousands for it?
- HappMacDonald 2y ago
  Well, you can't marry who you never meet. What would it be worth for you to pay a bribe to a time traveler not to go into the past to prevent your parents from ever meeting? ;)
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- RandomBacon 2y ago
  It made the news a while back when someone was offering $10k USD to anyone who introduced them to someone he would marry. I would do the same, but I don't know how to make it feasible without sounding terrible. I do often let people know I'm open to matchmaking if they know any women my age.
  - MostlyStable 2y ago
    It seems like these dating services could hold the bulk of the money in escrow pending the marriage. Maybe you pay a few hundred up front, but a few thousand in escrow, and when you get married, it gets paid out.