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Nicole Ferraro

10 Creepiest Niche Dating Sites

Written by Nicole Ferraro
2/13/2009 9 comments
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Well, lovers, that special time is upon us. It's Valentine's Day... all weekend long!

Alas, have you no one to love this Valentine's Day? Has even the dog been recently rejecting your late-night requests for a smooch? Fear not! The Internet has the solution for your unrequited love and millions of people eager to take old Sparky's place in your heart.

We're not talking about your ordinary dating sites here, however. Those are fine in their own right, but surely there's something special, something creepy, even, that you're seeking in a mate.

So check out our roundup of the 10 Creepiest Niche Dating Sites. They're guaranteed to give you a laugh... if not a lover for life.

10) MillionaireMatch
Are you shallow, money hungry, and seeking someone equally so? Have you no depth beyond that of your wallet? Check out Millionaire Match, "the first, most effective and largest site in the world to connect with, date, marry successful, beautiful people." Should that fail to suffice, there's always Sugar Daddie, "where the classy, attractive, and affluent can meet." No hideous, poor slobbies allowed, please.

9) Geek2Geek
"Where it's okay to be who you really are" -- that is, of course, if you're a geek. Find your mate here if you enjoy quadratic equations, belong to a secret Web chat room, speak in C++, or are a Dr. Dobbs reader.

8) GreenFriends
Are you environmentally aware and totally hot for others of your green-consciousness? Does your car run solely on water, hope, and shredded "Vote Gore" bumper stickers? Log yourself into GreenFriends where it's socially acceptable to say, "Hey babe, is it hot in here or is it just your solar panels?"

7) TrekPassions
Donning the motto "Love Long and Prosper," TrekPassions is a dating site for sci-fi lovers, "including but not limited to lovers of Star Trek and Star Wars." Log on here to meet people like Neb: "Im REALLY into outter space its all i ever think about and i want to share that maybe?" (Perhaps someone on MillionaireMatch can pay for her flight out there. Maybe?)

6) AshleyMadison
AshleyMadison.com, a site for people who want to cheat on their spouse, with over 3 million members, tops the charts for being creepy, immoral, and hypocritical. While the site's tagline is "Life is short, have an affair," it states in its FAQ that it does not encourage infidelity. (No, but should you stray, we'll happily advertise on your affair!)

5) Purrsonals
Do you want someone to love who won't leave abruptly simply because you've brought Mr. Muffles out on your date... again? Check out PURRsonals.com, "Where all cat lovers meet and share their passion for cats" -- and where you can "Meet other cat lovers who really match your PURRsonality!" Pardon me now, I've got to PURRge.

4) EquestrianCupid
Perhaps the cat people are a little too weird for you, and you prefer a more aspirational beast. Find your lover on Equestrian Cupid, where literally everyone's profile photo consists of that person with a horse.

3) BikerKiss
If you envision a future with someone leather-clad with perpetual helmet hair, BikerKiss is your virtual hub of hunnies. Log yourself in for a wild hog ride (and from the looks of the members, I'm not just talkin' about the bikes...).

2) GothicMatch
Is your idea of a great date visiting the tattoo parlor and tossing your lover into a mosh pit thereafter? Do the piercings in your lip make it difficult at times to feast on the blood of young virgins? Is garlic breath both a turnoff and hazardous to your life? Log onto GothicMatch, where even you can find someone with whom to share your tortured existence.

1) FarmersOnly
"You don't have to be lonely, thanks to Farmers Only." That's their motto, humble that it be. Log on here for a low-maintenance lover, then take 'er out back to show her your "tractor." 

Er, anyway... Happy Valentine's and all that.

— Nicole Ferraro, Site Editor, Internet Evolution

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taimur_tz
IQ Crew
Monday February 16, 2009 10:43:27 AM
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Just looking at these 'niche' dating sites, I can imagine possible futre developments in this area.

These niche might get highly nicher. There will be websites for highly specific interests. Dating websites for 'people who hate waking up early' or 'people who sleep on their right side'. Sounds funny, but it can get to that level.

Secondly, with the use of semantic web (web 3.0), a person will no longer have to find a match for himself. An agent will be browsing all websites related to your interests and list you possible matches. It might even contact agent of the other person to see if the other person is likely to date you.

With people being increasingly crazy about pets, there might be websites which help you find matches for your pets. Imagine a dating website exclusively for dogs or meows. 

These are just a few things I could think of. There can be several possibilities. The future has no limits!

ktroulos
IQ Crew
Sunday February 15, 2009 8:39:43 AM
no ratings

Nicole,

I smell franchising here. I could identify 2 or maybe 3 distinct marketing ways to get to the customer. (They may be more, but strikingly common patterns exist to many of the sites you provided). It also seems that the software available to building that type of service sites is also pretty standard (striking functionalities appear in site functionality too).

What I would find very interesting is to read an article about the social media business that would provide additional insight on the market (competition, franchisers etc), software available for these platforms and so fourth.

Last, i wonder how these sites build their subsribership at the beginning. For, network effects (i.e. users being attracted by the existing number of subsribers of these services) require a significant critical mass. In other words, what type of methods to attract new users are being used?

Kicheko
IQ Crew
Sunday February 15, 2009 3:45:35 AM
no ratings

Hehe, Nicole i really like the no. 10 and 9 analysis. Anyway i only know one person in real life who met a date online. It has to be tricky.

ChrisTOP
Thinkernetter
Friday February 13, 2009 4:30:06 PM
no ratings

The "Millionare Match" confused me just a little bit. Don't rich and famous people tend to live around other rich and famous people?

 

Additionally,

 

imagine having all that money and still not being able to get a date?

 

yeesh

 

Chris Poley
Thinkernetter
Friday February 13, 2009 4:18:40 PM
no ratings
Jeeze Nicole, You missed my favorite; DailyDiapers.com for those who enjoy wearing diapers for recreational purposes. (No,not a member...............yet)
dvisme
IQ Crew
Friday February 13, 2009 3:33:40 PM
no ratings

This is hilarious. I have a few friends who have tried vainly for years to use match.com, craigslist, and others to find their 'soul mate.' I'll have to pass these along so they can really drill down into their cyberstalking sweetspots.

While I have several friends you met online and got married, whatever happened to actually saying hello to someone and talking to them? I still contend that those with poor social skills offline suffer the same poor skills online.

But at least there's more and more places to be lonely.

 

Natalies_mommy
IQ Crew
Friday February 13, 2009 2:45:13 PM
no ratings
I aways wondered what was on that side of the net (the dating side) that i never explored because i was married, and i'm happy to report that after this list i will NEVER think of venturing over there again. I wonder how many people will now be looking for their millionare husband/wife this weekend.
Mary Jander
Thinkernetter
Friday February 13, 2009 2:40:01 PM
no ratings

The Internet sure speeds up the filtering process for all kinds of folks. And with the new social networking trends, we're no doubt going to see even wilder, more granular sites!

Heaven help us.

 

Mike Acker
Rank: Cyborg
Friday February 13, 2009 2:04:43 PM
no ratings

=" Has even the dog been recently rejecting your late-night requests for a smooch?"

 

= "Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes"

-Tom T Hall, from "Old dogs & children, & Watermelon Wine"

 one of the 100 best C&W songs ever written

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