First Intro To Date: The Timeline Of Online Dating

Though online dating was initially received with a lot of skepticism, the success stories have helped diminish certain misconceptions people harbored for these sites. In fact, online dating has become so popular that there are several online dating sites that cater to different sections of the population. For instance, there are certain online dating sites that are meant only for the members of the LGBT community, whereas, there are others that are exclusively for seniors.

Certain online dating sites are free, whereas, others require you to opt for a paid membership to gain access to several features that help people find their prospective partners quickly.

Online dating is an intriguing concept and it keeps adapting and upgrading with the passage of time. In fact, online dating has come a long way from its inception in the year 1959. The progress of online dating from a mere class project to a full-fledged raging phenomenon is quite interesting. So, pay attention to the timeline of one of the most interesting concepts that is alive and thriving on the Internet.

1940: “Introduction” introduces the idea of matching people with data
Introduction, a company in Newark, New Jersey, is believed to be the first company to use the method of creating matches or “social equivalents” with the help of the data at hand. The major highlight of this process was that you had to pay a quarter to receive a suggested match’s contact information. So, this is the yesteryear’s equivalent of paid memberships.

1959: A school project is the blueprint of modern matchmaking service
In the mid-1900s, two students from Standford, Jim Harvey and Phil Fialer took Introduction’s work further as a part of a school assignment. They developed a punch card questionnaire and an IBM 650 mainframe computer to pair 98 men and women accurately. Though this idea never took a concrete form, it was the first attempt to create an automated matchmaking service.

1965: The first computer dating service is unveiled
After the Standford students, the Harvard students took the project in hand. Jeff Tarr and Vaughan Morrill conducted the Operation Match and used their own questionnaire with their own IBM 1401 computer to match people on the basis of their likes and dislikes. They charged $3 for matching the ones who enrolled in their program.

The 1990s: The Internet becomes the “It” thing for personal ads
With the advent of the Internet, the in-print personal ads found a new platform and it changed the concept of dating forever. With the development of the World Wide Web, singles could now connect via sites like Craigslist, Prodigy, AOL, and other online chat rooms and forums.

1995: The first dating site comes into being
With Match.com, the first online dating site comes into existence. It revolutionized the way you could find your future partner. This dating website could help you find your prospective partner as it gave you the opportunity to choose factors like your match’s preferred age, gender, location, hobbies, and lifestyle habits.

1998: “You’ve Got Mail” makes online dating more popular
This Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movie created a furor when it hit the theater, and did something beneficial for online dating—it normalized it.

2000: eHarmony was launched
Five years after the first online dating website was launched, eHarmony was launched and it had more to add to the process of dating. Its one-of-a-kind survey aimed at in-depth analysis as it took 29 dimensions of compatibility into consideration. This included the individual’s adaptability, emotional energy, intellect, physical energy, and conflict resolution skills.

2004-2007: OkCupid, Zoosk, and smartphones helped online dating
OkCupid was launched in 2004 and three years later Zoosk came into being. Both these online dating sites garnered extensive membership owing to its unique way of helping people find their right partners. The inception of smartphones too helped the causes as the year 2007 saw a lot of dating apps come alive on the cellphone.

2012: Tinder helps you find love by swiping “left”
Tinder became the first online dating site to use the “swipe-for-matches” feature and it made life easier. Also, it enhanced the location-based matching by letting users search for partners by location.

Today
About 67% of the population uses one or the other online dating services and the number seems to be increasing with each passing day. It has become easier to find the love of your life as these dating sites assess you and your expectations from your partner, and the exclusive dating sites allow people to look for matches without having to venture out of their comfort zone.