Online dating, also known as internet dating, virtual dating, or mobile app dating, is a method used by people with a goal of searching for and interacting with potential romantic or sexual partners, via the internet. An online dating service is a company that promotes and provides specific mechanisms for the practice of online dating, generally in the form of dedicated websites or software applications accessible on personal computers or mobile devices connected to the internet. A wide variety of unmoderated matchmaking services, most of which are profile-based with various communication functionalities, is offered by such companies.
Matchmaking is the process of matching two or more people together, usually for the purpose of marriage, in which case the matchmaker is also known as a marriage broker. The word is also used in the context of sporting events such as boxing, in business, in online video games and in pairing organ donors.
Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage or committed romantic, de facto relationship. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private matter between two people or may be a public affair, or a formal arrangement with family approval. Traditionally, in the case of a formal engagement, it is the role of a male to actively "court" or "woo" a female, thus encouraging her to understand him and her receptiveness to a marriage proposal.
A dating agency, also known as a marriage bureau, marriage agency, matrimonial bureau or matrimonial agency, is a business that provides matchmaking services to potential couples, with a view toward romance and/or marriage between them.
eHarmony is an online dating website launched in 2000. eHarmony is based in Los Angeles, California, and owned by ParshipMeet Group, a joint venture of German mass media company ProSiebenSat.1 Media and American private equity firm General Atlantic.
Match is an online dating service with headquarters are in Dallas, Texas. The company has offices in Dallas, West Hollywood, San Francisco, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Beijing. Match is owned by Match Group, which owns several online dating services.
The eCRUSH network consisted of two sites: eCRUSH.com and eSPIN.com. The network was acquired by Hearst Media on December 31, 2006. The original eCRUSH site was opened on February 14, 1999 in Chicago by Clark Benson and Karen DeMars Pillsbury. It pre-dated social networking sites such as Friendster, MySpace and Facebook.
Anonymous matching is a matchmaking method facilitated by computer databases, in which each user confidentially selects people they are interested in dating and the computer identifies and reports matches to pairs of users who share a mutual attraction. Protocols for anonymous matchmaking date back to the 1980s, and one of the earliest papers on the topic is by Baldwin and Gramlich, published in 1985. From a technical perspective, the problem and solution are trivial and likely predate even this paper. The problem becomes interesting and requires more sophisticated cryptography when the matchmaker isn't trusted.
Dating is a stage of romantic relationships in which two individuals regularly engage in activity together, most often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. It falls into the category of courtship, consisting of social events carried out by the couple either alone or with others.
True was an online dating service that was active from 2003 to 2013. It was founded by entrepreneur Herb Vest and was based in Plano, Texas.
Confessions of a Matchmaker is an American reality television series broadcast by the A&E Network.
Patricia Stanger is an American businesswoman, reality television personality, and founder and CEO of matchmaking service Millionaire's Club International. She is known for starring in and producing her own matchmaking reality series, The Millionaire Matchmaker, on Bravo.
This is a partial, non-exhaustive list of notable online dating websites and mobile apps.
Janis Spindel is a matchmaker, author, and entrepreneur. According to her website, she created the matchmaking service after matching fourteen couples who married within one year. Before entering the matchmaking field, she owned nine retail locations of "Mommy and Me". Spindel has been involved with several charities. Spindel is also a former fashion executive.
Samantha Daniels is an American professional matchmaker, television personality, television producer, author, and entrepreneur. Daniels also owns and operates Samantha's Table, a matchmaking service based in New York and Los Angeles.
AskforTask is a Toronto-based marketplace where people can outsource tasks like cleaning, handyman, and moving. Similar to Uber but for home services, the service is accessible on Android, iOS, and online.
Tinder is an online dating and geosocial networking application launched in 2012. On Tinder, users "swipe right" to like or "swipe left" to dislike other users' profiles, which include their photos, a short bio, and some of their interests. Tinder uses a "double opt-in" system, also called "matching", where two users must like each other before they can exchange messages.
Jasbina Ahluwalia is a matchmaker/dating coach and a radio host. She is also the founder and President of Intersections Match, a relationship coaching and online dating business for Indians.
Talia Goldstein is an American entrepreneur, founder of the matchmaking company Three Day Rule in 2010.
Andrea McGinty is an American dating coach, author and businesswoman. She is the founder of It's Just Lunch.
