Narrowing the Field Before Playing It - niche dating sites

[groovedaddy]

WHOM do you want to date? A bookworm? A beauty queen? A virgin? A vegan? Whatever you’re seeking, chances are there’s a niche dating site for you. Yes, even you, mustache fetishists (see StachePassions.com).

Singles on major sites like Match.com and Lavalife.com have long been able to narrow their searches for potential matches, based on their preferences for height, weight, smoking habits and other personal details. But in an age when consumers can customize their sneakers, their sweaters, even the writing on their M & Ms, is it any wonder they want even more control when it comes to cyber dating?

A raft of niche sites is offering the granularity they crave. A handful of them, like BlackSingles and JDate, have been around for a few years.

But now that broad-brush dating sites have saturated the market, niche players are growing ever more plentiful and popular, according to major market research firms that monitor the dating industry.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/fashion/06Niche.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha210

[dawg]

1. Sounds like a bad idea to me.

I would never want to pick out a woman like I would pick out a puppy. The things that matter the most are hard to quantify, and it would be a real shame to miss out on the right person because of some arbitrary preference that you *thought* mattered to you.

[groovedaddy]

2. I've had the same thoughts and have never done anything like this. That said, I've might a number

of people who met people this way and it worked out well for them. I've heard a few horror stories too.

[Bucky]

3. Never be surprised by the person you're dating.com