Could social networks be the key to dating sites that work?
For years, online dating sites have promised that their almighty algorithms could turn strangers into soulmates.
But recent research suggests that their love-engineering is about as foolproof as flirting with random people at a bar, and a new breed of dating sites are using social networks, rather than science, to help singles find romance.
Online dating services such as theComplete.me and Circl.es are looping singles’ friends into the matchmaking process in an effort to connect people to each other’s acquaintances and keep suitors from weaving the kind of elaborate fictions that characterize many profiles on traditional dating sites.
“Facebook has created a shift from online dating to social dating,” said online dating expert Julie Spira. “Facebook technically could be the world’s largest dating site. And if you look at these new players, they’re taking advantage of the fact that they have this fabulous universe of people.”
