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Timeline of online dating services

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{| class="wikitable"
! Time period !! Development summary !! More details
|-
| 1695 to 1958 || Uses of newspaper to find dates
|-
| 1959 - 1994 || Computer-assisted match-making
|-
| 1995 - today || Online dating services
|}
==Full timeline==
{| class="sortable wikitable"
! Date !! !! Medium !! User goal !! Geographical range !! User base size !! Longevity !! Success
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year (month and date) !! Event !! Venue
|-
| 16901695 || Personal advertisements first appear in British newspapers.|| Newspaper || mariage || UK || || |||-| 1700s || || Newspaper|| taboo relationship || UK || || |||-| 1959 || Happy Families Planning Services launches. Started by Jim Harvey and Phil Fialer as a class project at Stanford. Used a questionnaire and an [[wikipedia:IBM 650|IBM 650]] to match 49 men and 49 women.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=3515|title=The First Computer Computer Matching Dating Service : History of Information|website=www.historyofinformation.com|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> || Paper + Computer || marriage || US || 49 || ||
|-
| 19591963 | Happy Families Planning Services launches. Started by Jim Harvey and Phil Fialer as a class project | Ed Lewis at Stanford. Used Iowa State University uses a questionnaire and an [[wikipedia:IBM 650|IBM 650]] computer "to match 49 men and 49 womenoptimize the meeting potential at dances".<ref name="slater">{{cite book |last=Slater |first=Dan |title=A Million First Dates}}</ref> || Paper + Computer || relationship || US || || ||
|-
| 19631964 | Ed Lewis at Iowa State University uses a questionnaire and an IBM computer "| St. James Computer Dating Service (later to optimize become Com-Pat) launches. [[wikipedia:Joan Ball|Joan Ball]] starts the meeting potential at dances"first commercially run computer generated matchmaking company. The first set of matchups is run.<ref name="slater">{{cite book Cite journal|last=Slater Hicks|first=Dan Marie|year=2016|title=Computer Love: Replicating Social Order Through Early Computer Dating Systems|url=|journal=Ada: A Million First DatesJornal of Gender, New Media and Technology|volume=|pages=|issn=2325-0496|via=}}</ref>|| Computer || || || || 1964 ||
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|19641965 | St. James Computer Dating Service (later to become Com-Pat) launches. | '[[wikipedia:Joan BallThe New York Review of Books|Joan BallThe New York Review of Books]] started '' personals column makes a comeback. Slater writes: <blockquote>Classifieds made a comeback in America in the first commercially run computer generated matchmaking company1960s and 1970s, encouraged by the era's inclination toward individualism and social exhibitionism. The first set "Everybody was letting it all hang out in other ways," said Raymond Shapiro, a business manager for [[wikipedia:the New York Review of Books|the New York Review of matchups Books]], "so suddenly it was run okay to display oneself in 1964print.It was very important to be 'self-aware.' So you'd get ads like: 'Astrologer, 27, psychology student, desires to establish non-superficial friendship with sensitive, choicelessly aware persons who are non-self-oriented, deep, and wish to unearth real, personness relationships.'&thinsp;"<refname="slater"/></blockquote>{{Cite journal|last=Hicks|first=MarieMagazine ||year=2016relationship |title=Computer Love: Replicating Social Order Through Early Computer Dating Systems|url=US |journal=Ada: A Jornal of Gender, New Media and Technology|volume=|pages=|issn=23251960 -04961970 |via=}}</ref>|
|-
| 1965|| [[wikipedia:Operation Match|Operation Match]] (part of Compatibility Research Inc.) launches. Started It's started by Jeff Tarr and Vaughan Morrill at Harvard. Used It uses a questionnaire and an [[wikipedia:IBM 1401|IBM 1401]] to match students. There was is a $3 fee for submitting a questionnaire. "By the fall of sixty-five, six months after the launch, some ninety thousand Operation Match questionnaires had been received, amounting to $270,000 in gross profits, about $1.8 million in today's dollars."<ref name="slater"/> In the 1960s there still was is no stigma about computer-assisted matching.|| Computer || relationship || US || || 1960 ||
|-
| 1965|| Eros (Contact Inc.) launches. Started It's started by David Dewan at MIT. Used It uses a dating questinnaire and [[wikipedia:Honeywell 200|Honeywell 200]]. "In one distribution of questionnaires, he drew eleven thousand responses at $4 each, or $44,000 in gross profits, about $250,000 in today's dollars."<ref name="slater"/>|| Computer || relationship || || || 1965 ||
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| 19651968 | ''[[wikipedia:The New York Review of Books|The New York Review of Books]]Data-Mate is launched at the MIT. It'' personals column makes s a comebackquestionnaire-based matching service. Slater writes: <blockquoteref>Classifieds made a comeback in America in the 1960s and 1970s, encouraged by the era's inclination toward individualism and social exhibitionism. "Everybody was letting it all hang out in other ways," said Raymond Shapiro, a business manager for [Lawrence Krakauer writes about his experiences [wikipediahttp:the New York Review of Books|the New York Review of Books]], "so suddenly it was okay to display oneself in print//ljkrakauer. It was very important to be 'self-awarecom/LJK/60s/datamate.' So you'd get ads like: 'Astrologer, 27, psychology student, desires to establish non-superficial friendship with sensitive, choicelessly aware persons who are non-self-oriented, deep, and wish to unearth real, personness relationshipshtm here].'&thinsp;"</ref name="slater"/></blockquote>| Magazine| Computer || relationship || US || || 1968 - 1970 ||
|-
| 19681970s, early | Data-Mate launches| Phase II is founded by James Schur. QuestionnaireIt's a "computer-based matching service started at MITdating company".<ref>Lawrence Krakauer writes about his experiences [http://ljkrakauer.com/LJK/60s/datamate.htm here].<name="slater"/ref>|| Computer || relationship || || || 1970 ||
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| 1970s, early1974 | Phase II is founded| Cherry Blossoms' [[wikipedia:mail-order bride|mail-order bride]] catalog launches. A "computer-dating company" It's started by James SchurJohn Broussard.<ref name=It would become "slaterone of the oldest mail-order bride agencies"/>. || Magazine || marriage || || || 1974 ||
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| 19741976 | Cherry Blossoms| Great Expectations is founded by Jeffrey Ullman. It' s a video dating service.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyullman |first=Jeff |last=Ullman |title=Jeff Ullman |publisher=[[wikipedia:mailLinkedIn|LinkedIn]] |accessdate=December 4, 2016 |quote=Great Expectations (video dating) December 1975 – January 1997 (21 years 2 months) Created, served as CEO, and primary international media spokesperson for 'Great Expectations', which we built into the world's largest introduction service for singles (aka, 'video dating').}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1994-order bride01-16/magazine/tm-12372_1_jeffrey-ullman |mail-order bridetitle=Love God From Hell : The Man Who Brought You Videodating Hates to Date, Loves to Taunt and Has Himself Been Unlucky in Love. Would You Buy a Relationship From Jeffrey Ullman? |publisher=[[wikipedia:Los Angeles Times|Los Angeles Times]] catalog launches|accessdate=December 4, 2016 |date=January 16, 1994 |first=Amy |last=Wallace}} Dan Slater references this article. Slater calls Cherry Blossoms "one of the oldest mail-order bride agencies"</ref> The service would achieve some notability, but it would never overcome stigma. Started by John BroussardThere is also apparently other video dating services like Teledate and Introvision<ref group=note>but it's nearly impossible to find anything about them online</ref>.|| Video dating || relationship || || || 1976 ||
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| 19761980s | Great Expectations is founded| 'messageries roses'' (pink chat rooms) are launched by Marc Simoncini. Video They are chat rooms for dating service started by Jeffrey Ullman.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyullman |first=Jeff |last=Ullman |title=Jeff Ullman |publisher=(using the [[wikipedia:LinkedInMinitel|LinkedInMinitel]] network). ||accessdate=December 4, 2016 Computer |quote=Great Expectations (video dating) December 1975 – January 1997 (21 years 2 months) Created, served as CEO, and primary international media spokesperson for 'Great Expectations', which we built into the world's largest introduction service for singles (aka, 'video dating').}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1994-01-16/magazine/tm-12372_1_jeffrey-ullman relationship |title=Love God From Hell : The Man Who Brought You Videodating Hates to Date, Loves to Taunt and Has Himself Been Unlucky in Love. Would You Buy a Relationship From Jeffrey Ullman? |publisher=[[wikipedia:Los Angeles TimesFrance |Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=December 4, 2016 |date=January 16, 1994 |first=Amy 1980 |last=Wallace}} Dan Slater references this article.</ref> The service achieved some notability, but it never overcame stigma. There were also apparently other video dating services like Teledate and Introvision, but it's nearly impossible to find anything about them online.|
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| 1980s1984<ref>Slater, Dan. Wikipedia seems to give a slightly different year.</ref> || Matchmaker Electronic Pen-Pal Network is launched by Jon Boede and Scott Smith. It''messageries roses'' (pink chat rooms) are launchess a bulletin board system for romance. Matchmaker would grow to 14 local BBSs throughout the US. Chat rooms for dating (using Eventually people would lose interest as BBSs would lose out to the World Wide Web, and Matchmaker would be superseded by [[wikipedia:MinitelMatchmaker.com|MinitelMatchmaker.com]] network) started by Marc Simoncini. France<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.revolvy.com/page/Timeline-of-online-dating-services?smv=8271767|title="Timeline of online dating services" on Revolvy.com|last=LLC|first=Revolvy|website=www.revolvy.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> || Computer, internet || relationship || US || || 1984-1986 ||
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| 1984<ref>Slater, Dan1989 || Scanna International launches. Wikipedia seems to give It's a slightly different yearmail-order bride service.</ref>{{Cite book| Matchmaker Electronic Pen-Pal Network launchesurl=https://scholarship.law. A bulletin board system for romance started by Jon Boede and Scott Smithupenn. Matchmaker grew to 14 local BBSs throughout the USedu/cgi/viewcontent. Eventually people lost interest as BBSs lost out to the World Wide Web, and Matchmaker was superseded by [[wikipediacgi?referer=https:Matchmaker//www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1486&context=jil|title=The Mail-order Bride Industry: The Perpetuation Of Transnational Economic Inequalities And Stereotypes|Matchmakerlast=S.com]]Y.Chun|first=Christine|publisher=Penn Law: Legal Scholarship Repository|year=2014|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> || Telephone, later Web || Marriage || Russia and Eastern Europe || || 1989 ||
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| 19891990s, early | Scanna International launches| Patricia Moore Group is launched by Trish McDermott. Mail-order bride It's an "offline matchmaking service focusing on Russia and Eastern Europein San Francisco".|| || relationship || San Francisco || || 1990 ||
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| 1990s, early1995 || [[wikipedia:Match.com|Match.com]] is launched by [[wikipedia:Gary Kremen|Gary Kremen]].<ref>{{Cite web| Patricia Moore Group launchesurl=https://www.businessinsider. An "offline matchmaking service in San Francisco" started com/how-matchcom-was-founded-by Trish McDermott-gary-kremen-2015-7|title=How Match.com's founder revolutionized the dating world — and walked away with just $50,000|last=Contributor|first=Jeff Kauflin|website=Business Insider|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> || Computer, internet || relationship || US, Japan, Rio de Janeiro, Beijing || || ||one of the most-visited dating sites
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| 1997<ref>Slater calls Lavalife a copycat of Match.com, so it ought to have started after 1995| . [http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/history/lavalife.html This page] gives 1997, but [[wikipedia:Match.comLavalife|Match.comWikipedia gives]] launches. Started by 1987 (while still including it in the category [[wikipedia:Gary Kremen:Category:Internet properties established in 1997|Gary Kremen:Category:Internet properties established in 1997]]). [https://www.lavalife.com/about.html Lavalife's website] says they started in 1987.</ref> || Lavalife || Computer, internet || relationship || US || || 1997 ||online dating success stories for over 25 years
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| 1997|| [[wikipedia:JDate|JDate]]|| Computer, internet || relationship || Jewish || || 1997 || site won a 2006 Webby award for social networking
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| 19972000 || [[wikipedia:eHarmony|eHarmony]] launches. They offer online dating service for long-term relationships.<ref>Slater calls Lavalife a copycat of Match.com, so it ought to have started after 1995. [http{{Cite web|url=https://www.onlinedatingmagazineeharmony.com/historyabout/eharmony/lavalife.html This page] gives 1997, but [[wikipedia:Lavalife|Wikipedia gives]] 1987 (while still including it in the category [[wikipedia::Category:Internet properties established in 1997title=About eHarmony {{!}} Learn About Our Online Dating Site & Services!|:Category:Internet properties established in 1997]])website=www.eharmony.com|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref>| Lavalife| Computer, internet || long-term relationship || US, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom || millions of people of all ages || 2000- ... ||
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| 20002002 || [[wikipedia:eHarmonyAshley Madison|eHarmonyAshley Madison]] launchesis founded. Online dating service for long-term relationships.|| Computer, internet || relationship || Canada || || ||
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| 20022003 | | Proxidating launches. It's a dating service that uses [[wikipedia:Ashley MadisonBluetooth|Ashley MadisonBluetooth]] is foundedto "alert users when a person with a matching profile was within fifty feet".<ref name="slater"/> || Bluetooth-enabled proximity, Computer || relationship || || || ||
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| 2003|| PlentyofFish launches. Online dating site started launched by Markus Frind. Significant It's an online dating site significant for being (one of the first?) free dating sites.|| Computer, internet || relationship || Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and the United States || || ||
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| 20032004 | Proxidating | OkCupid launches. Dating service that used [[wikipedia:Bluetooth|Bluetooth]] to "alert users when a person with a matching profile was within fifty feet".<ref name="slater"/>| Computer, internet || long term romantic relationship, short term romantic relationship, friendship, sex || International || millions of potential mates out there || 2004-2019 ||
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| 20042006 | OkCupid | [[wikipedia:SeekingArrangement|SeekingArrangement]] launches.It's a sugar daddy/[[wikipedia:sugar baby|sugar baby]] site in the US. || Computer, internet || romantic || US || || || Web
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| 2006|| [[wikipedia:Badoo|Badoo]] launches. A It's a "dating-focused social networking service" (Wikipedia).|| App || social || International || || 2006-... || most-downloaded dating app in 21 countries., world's most widely-used dating network
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| 20062007 || [[wikipedia:SeekingArrangementSkout|SeekingArrangementSkout]] launches. A sugar daddy/[[wikipedia:sugar babyIt's a "location-based social networking and dating application and website". || App || relationship || International || Millions of people ||sugar baby]] site in the US2007-...||
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| 2007|| [[wikipedia:SkoutCrazy Blind Date|SkoutCrazy Blind Date]] launchesis launched by Sam Yagan. A "location-based social networking and It's a blind dating application and website"service.|| App || relationship || || 90000 || 2007 ||
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| 20072008 | [[wikipedia:Crazy Blind Date|Crazy Blind Date]] GenePartner launches. Blind dating It's a matching service started by Sam Yaganbased on "DNA compatibility".|| App || relationship || || || ||
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| 2008<ref>{{cite web 2009 |url=https| [[wikipedia://techcrunch.com/2008/07/22/ok-we-have-our-first-dna-based-dating-site-genepartner/ Grindr|Grindr]] (initial launch) || App || relationship |publisher=TechCrunch |title=Ok, We Have Our First DNA-Based Dating Service: GenePartner International |author=Michael Arrington |accessdate=December 4, 2016 million users |date=July 22, 2008}}</ref>| GenePartner launches2009- . Matching service based on "DNA compatibility".. ||
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| 20092011 | [[wikipedia| LikeBright is launched by Nick Soman. It's an online dating site.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geekwire.com/2013/likebright-raises/ |title=Matchmaking platform LikeBright raising $1M to help singles land a 2nd date |publisher=GeekWire |date=December 20, 2013 |accessdate=December 4, 2016 |author=Taylor Soper}}</ref> By 2014 the site would shut down.<ref>{{cite web |url=http:Grindr//www.geekwire.com/2014/reveal-likebright/ |title=Matchmaking platform LikeBright morphs into Reveal, a new anonymous chat app |publisher=GeekWire |date=September 18, 2014 |accessdate=December 4, 2016 |author=Taylor Soper}}</ref> || Web || relationship || || || 2014 |Grindr]] (initial launch)| App
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| 20112012 | LikeBright launches. Online dating site by Nick Soman.<ref>{{cite web |url=http[[wikipedia://www.geekwireTinder (app)|Tinder]] launches.com/2013/likebright-raises/ |title=Matchmaking platform LikeBright raising $1M to help singles land a 2nd date |publisher=GeekWire App |date=December 20, 2013 |accessdate=December 4, 2016 relationship |author=Taylor Soper}}</ref> By 2014 the site shut down.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geekwire.com/2014/reveal-likebright/ International |title=Matchmaking platform LikeBright morphs into Reveal, a new anonymous chat app |publisher=GeekWire one billion |date=September 18, 2014 |accessdate=December 4, 2016 2012- ... |author=Taylor Soper}}</ref>| Web
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| 2012(?)|| [[wikipediahttps:Highlight (application)|Highlight//www.misstravel.com/about MissTravel.com]] launchesis launched by Brandon Wade. Slater calls it It's a "locationdating service for people seeking companionship when traveling. || Web || companion during travel || International || one million || 2010-based dating app", though this doesn't seem to be its main function (it seems more social than romantic)... | App| leading online dating site for wanderlust singles
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| 2012|| [[wikipedia:Tinder Highlight (appapplication)|TinderHighlight]] launches.Slater calls it a "location-based dating app", though this doesn't seem to be its main function (it seems more social than romantic). || App|| relationship || || || ||
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| 20122013 | MissTravel.com | EliteSingles launches. Dating service Bespoke dating website for people seeking companionship when travelingprofessional singles is first launched in UK market. Started by Brandon Wade.|| Web|| relationship || UK || || ||
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| 20132014 (December) | EliteSingles | Bumble, a location-based mobile app that permits only women to start a chat with their matches, launches. Bespoke <ref>{{cite web|title=Bumble is a dating app where women take lead|url=http://www.thestar.com/life/2015/04/28/bumble-is-a-dating website for professional singles first launched in UK market-app-where-women-take-lead.html|publisher=Thestar|accessdate=3 June 2015}}</ref> || App || relationship || || || 2014-... || Web
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| 2014 (December)2015 || Bumble, a location[https://www.openminded.com/what-is-based mobile app that permits only women to start openminded/ OpenMinded] is launched by Brandon Wade. It's a chat with their matches, launchesdating site for "[[wikipedia:monogamish|monogamish]]" people.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bumble is a dating app where women take lead|url=httphttps://www.thestarbustle.com/lifearticles/2015/04/28/bumble79540-openminded-dating-site-for-people-looking-isfor-aopen-datingrelationships-appbecause-wheremonogamy-womenisnt-takefor-leadeveryone |title=OpenMinded Dating Site For People Looking For Open Relationships, Because Monogamy Isn't For Everyone |author=Kristine Fellizar |accessdate=December 4, 2016 |date=May 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.openminded.com/ |title=OpenMinded.htmlcom - For Open Relationships |publisher=ThestarOpenMinded |accessdate=3 June 2015December 4, 2016}}</ref>|| Web || relationship || || || 2015-... ||
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| 2015(November 19) | OpenMinded launches. Dating site for "[[wikipedia:monogamish|monogamish]]" peopleMatch Group, started by Brandon Wade.<ref>{{cite which owns and operates several online dating web |url=https://wwwsites including OkCupid, Tinder, PlentyOfFish, and Match.bustlecom, goes public.com/articles/79540-openminded-dating-site-for-people-looking-for-open-relationships-because-monogamy-isnt-for-everyone |title=OpenMinded Dating Site For People Looking For Open Relationships, Because Monogamy Isn't For Everyone |author=Kristine Fellizar Web || relationship || International || |accessdate=December 4, 2016 |date=May 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www-.openminded.com/ |title=OpenMinded.com - For Open Relationships |publisher=OpenMinded |accessdate=December 4, 2016}}</ref>|
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| 2015|| [[wikipedia:Ashley Madison|Ashley Madison]] hack Personal gets hacked; users' personal information of Ashley Madison users is stolen and released; see [[wikipedia:Ashley Madison data breach|Ashley Madison data breach]] for more.|| Web || relationship || US || || ||
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| 2015 (November 19) 2019 || [[wikipedia:Match GroupFacebook Dating|Match GroupFacebook Dating]], which owns and operates several online dating web sites including OkCupid, Tinder, PlentyOfFish, and Match.com, goes publiclaunches. || Web || relationship || || || ||
|}
==Meta information on the timeline==
===How Aknowledgement === The initial version of the timeline was built===imported from Wikipedia by Issa Rice.
In July 2019, [[User:Mati Roy]] outsourced find a couple other sources and creating new columnns: Medium, User goal, Geographical range, User base size, Longevity, Success; see outsourced work on [https://trello.com/c/eWMgxrqh/3-fill-column-d-to-j-from-information-in-column-c Trello]. [[User:Mati Roy]] reviewed the outsourced work and the timeline as a whole, formatted the sources, change the tense of the verbs to present, added Facebook Dating, added section for notes. Article I read to look for potentially missing information: [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/timeline-online-dating-fr_b_9228040 The initial version History of Online Dating From 1695 to Now]. Live stream of the timeline was written by work is available here: [https://www.facebook.com/2352397188177026/videos/2486597508059043/], [https://www.facebook.com/2352397188177026/videos/367095510665105/], [Userhttps:FIXME|FIXME//www.facebook.com/2352397188177026/videos/2087048751596777/], [https://www.facebook.com/2352397188177026/videos/963513010658345/].
{{funding info}} is available.
===What the timeline is still missing===
* Add graph of the number of people that met online (note: email mrosenfe@stanford.edu when zir paper [https://web.stanford.edu/~mrosenfe/Rosenfeld_et_al_Disintermediating_Friends.pdf] will be published and ze will give us permission to post the graph at the end of the paper on the Timelines Wiki)
* Look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_online_dating_services for ideas
* Consider adding more non-US dating sites
* Consider adding matrimonial sites
* Add background events relevant to online dating, like when mobile phones came out
* Add events about back-end consolidation (e.g. how Match Group owns OkCupid, Tinder, etc. and events that led that to happen)
* Maybe include some background statistics like graphs for age of marriage
* Pew reports might be worth citing
* The role of social media esp. Facebook as a platform and data source that dating apps can build on
* The growth of dating services that are women centered, like Bumble, and the distinction between ones that explicitly match versus just let folks discover
===Timeline update strategy===
 
Consider keeping the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_online_dating_services#Full_timeline Wikipedia timeline] in sync.
==See also==
* [[wikipedia:Comparison of online dating websites|Comparison of online dating websites]]
 ==Notes and references===== Notes ==={{reflist|group=note}} ===References==={{reflistReflist|30em}}
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