Is Facebook planning to launch a dating site? It certainly would make a lot of sense. Let's look at the evidence. First, did you see the recent announcement of Amazon's new social feature integrating Facebook into your Amazon recommendations? This feature enables a Amazon Facebook page showing you the most popular books, DVDs, and more that are listed in your friend's Facebook profile. So if you like Journey, you can see which one of your friends also likes them. You'll also see upcoming birthdays and be able to more easily find your Facebook friends' Amazon Wish Lists. You'll also get gift suggestions for your friends based on their Facebook profiles.Hmmm, seeing what you have in common with your "friends"? Do you see where this is going? Well, if not, let me spell it out for you. Imagine if Facebook's knowledge about you and prospective dating partners could be used to build the most accurate compatibility profile available - anywhere!
The big question is would users trust Facebook given their privacy control issues? Well, 500 million+ users says Facebook is still doing something right even with some privacy concerns. Besides, dating sites are all about "sharing" intimate details with perfect strangers, so privacy may be less of a concern. Though, you do still want "control" over that release of information, so Facebook still would need to keep users' trust.
The Facebook Dating Advantage
Unlike dating sites which require the mundane process of filling out your bio, your sex, your religion, your politics, etc. most of this info is already in your Facebook profile. Facebook profiles are already pre-populated with the main questions dating sites ask, like political views, religion, marital status, hetero/homo-sexual & geographic location. But are also filled with more mundane yet important areas like college attended, favorite musicians, favorite sports teams, favorite movies, etc. Thus, Facebook has more insights into your intimate details and hobbies than many dating sites have. This could enable some really granular searches for a dating partner. Hate the Boston Red Sox - eliminate all profiles that have them. Can't stand hip-hop? Bam! Those profiles gone.
Let's take that one step further. Imagine if Netflix offers a Facebook app that links your favorite Netflix movies (using your ratings) with Facebook which then links to this Facebook dating portal. You'll be able to find a soul mate that has similar TV / movie interests so you'll (almost) never have to fight over the remote control or who gets to pick the movie.
I know I hate uploading photos - too tedious. Plus, I already have my favorite photo uploading sites, so I don't want yet another site to have to upload to. Facebook users already upload their favorite profile pictures, so this too can save a step for single people looking to instantly create a dating profile on Facebook with as many or as "few" photos as they want to share.
Summary:
Automatic profile builder - check
Fast profile pics - check
Millions of dating profiles available to search - check
Granular knowledge of prospective dating partners - check
Obviously, this potential Facebook dating site would have to be opt-in to participate. Most married couples or people in a current relationship would not want to participate in a dating site. Perhaps this Facebook dating site could allow singles to query the main Facebook site for singles matching your criteria (including profile pics) and then send an "evite" to join the Facebook dating site to check out who the suitor is that expressed interest. Of course, the privacy zealots wouldn't be too happy about this. But really nothing additional is being disclosed. You can see anyone's Facebook profile pic already, even if they set all the privacy controls to maximum.
Of course, you could use this Facebook dating site to filter for only "Republican" women for instance, and then gain intimate knowledge about someone's person profile that is not public unless you are a "friend" on Facebook and can see their Profile info. Still, I'm sure with some privacy controls, Facebook could have a real winner here.
Now what to call it? Facebook already offers "Friend finder", so how about "Love Finder" or "Date Finder"?
So what say you? Great or terrible idea?
Sounds like a great idea.
Of course, you neglected to mention there is someone else who has more knowledge about everyone than Facebook.
Namely - Google. They can see your entire search history!
Of course, that's rather random info. You could be reading a story about child pornography because you hate people who hurt kids, and be anti-child porn.
Still, we Google trying to crack into social media, I wouldn't be surprised if Google entered the lucratic dating scene as well.
but I really do like your idea of Facebook getting into it. Like you say, they have more pertinent info about you that could make finding a soul mate much easier.
great article!
There are tons of dating applications on Facebook, mostly for casual daters, but really more for fun, flirting, & entertainment purposes- not really designed for serious daters looking for a long term relationship. So if Facebook were to be serious about this, they would have to spawn a separate dating portal.
Serious daters don't want friends, parents, or other relatives to be aware of a very private matter. As long as this "potential" Facebook dating site "shields" your family, friends, etc. from viewing your Facebook dating portal, I suppose it could work. Perhaps let any Facebook user EXCEPT your friends view your personal dating portal. This would require them to register a new Facebook profile if they were "that" curious to check out your dating profile.
This isn't just strictly a Facebook issue. Your friends/family could just as easily check out Plentyoffish.com (free) and see your profile there if they wanted to. Paid sites like Match.com, Matchmaker.com already "weed" out family/friends since they'd have to pay to register. Facebook could hide the Facebook ID number in the dating portal and not let you search by name, so it could be very difficult for nosy friends to find you amongst potentially millions of Facebook dating profiles.
Facebook is morphing into a a powerful and effective recommendation engine based on collaborative filtering (personal preferences, interests, likes and dislikes), so if it wants, Facebook can recommend you people for flirting/fun or serious online dating purposes.
It's both a great and a bad idea. For people who want to date but who do not have enough time to search for a date by going through the usual channels, the Facebook dating site could be very helpful.
However, security and privacy will be compromised. Imagine having a stalker in Facebook, who is interested in you, romantically. Scary. In addition, cyberdating is not exactly the best type of dating as many facets of personality are hidden behind computer screens.
Maybe if Facebook could improve its security options and safeguard the privacy of its users, then this idea could benefit a lot of people.
There's nothing wrong if facebook would launched a dating site. Everybody can join and that is not a requirement to join facebook so everybody has a decision to decide whether they like to join or not. They can also decide if they want to have a serious date or do it just for fun.
The privacy policy of facebook is bigger than the American constitution. So, forget about reading it (huh!). People have already been using facebook for dating purpose, if they launch a dating site, it will be called an official site and a junk of facebook profile will shift there.
Hey why not. I think it is already used by singles all over the world to find a date. Maybe someone will create an app on facebook that only requires you to click a button to date a person or vote whom you want to date. that would be fun.
It would be about time. Business-wise, it is long overdue. However the problem is, people generally do not know the proper ways to meet online--regardless of the website.
I have met and dated hundreds of females via the internet--Facebook included. Having helped hundreds of people do the same, the main obstacle is not Facebook itself...it's the fact people DON'T know how to properly express interest, write messages, and transition to the phone and first date.
My book, "The Facebook Datebook for Men" teaches just that. While creating a Facebook Dating site would be a great business move, increasing one's dating success rate can only be done through learning HOW to date.