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New Dating Site Integrates Social Networking, Stalking
By Emily FarrisSeptember 23rd, 2009, 11:41 amComments (3)
Whenever I plan to meet a guy from a dating site, I use an email address that doesn't give away my last name and I refuse to chat or share social networking profiles before the first date. I don't want to be Googled and I certainly don't want a man to think he knows me before he's charmed by me in person. While my online persona is a decent indicator of my personality, I'd like to think I'm much more adorable (and maybe even demure) over a pint of beer (okay, a glass of whiskey).
Opposite sentiments are the foundation of Gelato, the new dating site which pulls updates from your Facebook profile, Twitter, Nextflix queue, Pandora stations and Flickr photos. The hope is that it will create 'a more authentic profile of who you are.' While that is true, it's also a little... creepy? But the site's creator, Steve Odom, feels he's just keeping up with the times.
“Dating sites haven’t really changed in five years,” Odom said. “At the same time with Twitter, I felt if I could follow someone for a couple weeks, I’d get a more honest picture of who they are.”
Gelato does employ privacy features which allows you to make your streams visible only to friends, and the site tries to determine whether or not profiles are fake. Plus, users will get extra points if their Twitter and Facebook friends verify they're real.
An interesting idea, but not one I think I'll be trying. It sort-of takes the fun out of getting to know someone in person; I don't like to get to know someone before we meet. If I'm interested in his profile, and he doesn't send a misspelled, mangled email, I like to arrange a meeting right away. Because no matter how much you like someone's Facebook or Twitter feed, you're either going to be attracted to the person or not.
If Gelato seems like something you'd like, the site is already in Beta (though currently down) and you can follow Gelato on Twitter for updates.
[Via Digital Venture Beat]
Commentarium (3 Comments)
Great headline.
YEAH! Because people are always so honest on those sites... That's the real me, jetting off to London every month, having wild crazy fun in my mansion with my half my age girlfriends. Oh wait, I don't want that part on a dating site!
This is a bad idea. But then I'm not 20 years old. You don't get to know the "real" someone via their electronic trail -- I do exactly like you do, Emily. If there's enough interest early enough on, MEET, and if that goes well, THEN get into the minutiae. Otherwise, you're likely to have the entirely relationship before you've even had appetizers. My Netflix queue? Really? Ugh. This is like people who decide on their "real" compability based on a list of bands they like. (Again... I'm not 20.)