Computer Dating Sites

• Computer Dating Advice
• Best Computer Dating Sites

1. Meanwhile, a new technology was emerging. In 1965, a team of Harvard undergrads created Operation Match, the world's first computer dating service. For $3, users could answer questionnaires and receive a list of potential matches, a process that is still used by many dating sites. 1990s-2000s: Second Wave of Mainstream.
2. Online dating site and dating app where you can browse photos of local singles, match with daters, and chat.

Decades before Match.com and OkCupid there existed a different sort of online interaction that millions participated in.

The 1960s gave us many gifts. Psychedelia and New Journalism, civil rights and the Velvet Underground, JFK and the sexual revolution. The last gift spawned something else entirely -- the 1960s introduced us to computer dating.

Yes, you read that correctly. Computer dating. Decades before Match.com, OkCupid, and Craigslist there existed a different sort of online interaction. The 1960s sport carried many of the same hazards and thrills as virtual matchmaking today. Computers did exist in the '60s, in some form -- not personal computers, but computers nonetheless. These machines could crunch the numbers on our personalities and spit out intimate matches. Sites like OkCupid perform a similar service now, only with more pictures, interactivity, and complexity.

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But in the 1960s, what was known as 'computer dating' involved no Internet and often few to no visuals. People submitted their vital stats along with questionnaires by mail. Not e-mail, of course, but old-fashioned, stamp-licking mail. No instant gratification followed. People waited patiently for days, weeks, and months as companies processed their answers on intelligence, attractiveness, quirks, and preferences, and would perhaps find them matches .. the hope for true love. The questionnaire model dated back to the Scientific Marriage Foundation in 1957 and flourished throughout the '60s and '70s. Any time of profound social change calls for a good date.

'Inevitably, the singles game is putting technology to use,' LIFE magazine declared back in 1967, 'and the computer-dating service is growing as steadily as the price of a share of IBM.' The article describes 'punchcard-plotted introductions' that cost $5 to $150. It emphasizes the perils that, even now, many ascribe to romance via machine:

Couples who meet by computer tend to be embarrassed and even hostile. Drinking takes care of the embarrassment but not the hostility. 'You needed a computer, didn't you? So what's wrong with you?' a man sneers at the end of an evening. Or the girl does. Or both do.

These services expanded along with our society's moral flexibility, technology, and the enthusiasm of young date-hungry entrepreneurs, particularly during the second half of the 1960s. In Thy Neighbor's Wife, journalist Gay Talese described pornographer-to-be Al Goldstein as a subscriber to a 'computer dating service' circa the mid-'60s (though apparently the service was, like many during this era, fraudulent). Harvard students founded a landmark computer-dating service around the same time, and as the Crimson reported in 1965, 'Their banner reads 'SEX,' their creed is written on the circuits of a computer, and their initial organized uprising is called Operation Match.' A black-and-white video celebrates the 'computer marriages' emerging from Operation Match by 1968. It cost $3 to sign up, and more than a million romantic souls had responded during the service's first years.

These virtual matchmaking systems proved quite popular among college students who wanted to keep dating casual, according to one 1978 article. Even rock songs emerged to laud the trend. The Crimson shares relevant '60s lyrics:

Well, I filled out my form and I sent it along,
Never hoping I'd get anything like this.
..
We put 2 and 2 together, and we came one with an I.B.M. affair.
She's my I.B.M. baby, I don't mean maybe,
She's my I.B.M. baby.

These dating services evolved quickly in subsequent decades. People began using phones and more photos, and by the 1980s, video and primitive chat rooms on the early Internet (think of New York's 50 BSS computer networks that existed around 1984, which offered 24-hour-a-day flirting right at your keyboard). The New York Times reported of a 'Computer Dating Dance' held at Stony Brook in the 1980s. Various anecdotes confirm, however, that daters of yesteryear suffered from the same problem online daters do now -- the goods often failed to match the bill, as a 1984 article wryly relates:

'No doubt about it. There are people on the network who are plain crazy,' says Pam Dunn, alias Zebra3, of New York City. 'Someone will talk to you on the private line, and you'll be having a great conversation. You're chatting for 15 minutes, then all of sudden they may ask for something really obscene.'

Even 37 years later, many women (and men) who attempt online dating can likely relate to these socially dysfunctional mishaps from certain suitors. Also enduring throughout the years are problems of misrepresentation: of age, weight, attractiveness, and height, as with the man who claimed to be 6' tall and 'mysteriously shrunk to about 5 feet 6 inches in person.' These issues have unlikely been resolved even on today's Internet.

Computer Dating Advice

Explore the complete Old, Weird Tech archive.

Speed dating area near garden city ks. Images: 1: Infoworld; 2. LIFE. Dating for singles in flint.

Best Computer Dating Sites

So you want to date someone with passion and drive?

And maybe, just maybe, you'd like them to value education, be polished enough to at least look good in black-and-white photos (or be adorably awkward on a 3-minute video date) and have a strong enough command of grammar that they know not to end sentences with a preposition. While your mother may call you picky, we call you self-aware. Join The League, a community designed for the overly ambitious. Read our mission statement.

Efficient Matching

Every day at Happy Hour we will give you Prospects to review in The League app. We do our very best to only show you to people who meet your preferences, AND where you meet theirs, prioritized by people you actually have a decent shot at conversing with. We don't believe in wasting anyone's time here.

Balanced Community

An advanced screening and monitoring system keeps our community well-balanced, highly-engaged, and full of high-powered (and empowered) people who are ready for a long-term relationship. When you swipe right on The League, your chances of matching and conversing are sky high!

Politeness, Not Games

Swipe right on everyone but don't ever message? You're only hurting yourself, by increasing your flakiness score! This gets you deprioritized in the matching algorithm. Matched with a flake? We'll be the bad guy for you - we expire your Matches after 14 days!

Authenticated Community

You'll never have to wonder if that Harvard hottie is too good to be true on The League, everyone must authenticate their account. Let us do the LinkedIn stalking for you..

Personalized Prospects

We always send you the best Prospects for you, first. We believe in quality over quantity, and that smart (but finite) daily recommendations are better for busy people than an unlimited buffet of options. We let you set ultra-specific preferences and only suggest you a few Prospects a day that we think you will actually like. Save your time, energy, and swipe thumb.

Smart Blocking

Authenticating with LinkedIn will protect your privacy and block you from your business connections and coworkers who also authenticated. Link Facebook to block friends & family..

Dating can be a marathon, so take a shortcut by going on 3 dates in 9 minutes

In the time it takes to order a drink on one date, you'll be matched with 3 users in your area that match your preferences. As sparks typically fly in just moments, these mini-dates save users time and energy--all from the comfort of your couch.

1:1 Video Chat: The safest way to meet in today's world..

Not to mention, the most convenient and cost effective. Once you match, no need to swap phone numbers, just use our video calling to talk to each other. Click the video button once you agree on a time and --voila-- fall in love or just enjoy meeting someone new. Your call.

Say goodbye to wondering if they look like their profile pictures

League users can now add a 10-second video to their dating profile. Stand out from the rest of the pack by being in full-color and moving, get priority in our matching algorithm and increase your like rate - video is in!

But in the 1960s, what was known as 'computer dating' involved no Internet and often few to no visuals. People submitted their vital stats along with questionnaires by mail. Not e-mail, of course, but old-fashioned, stamp-licking mail. No instant gratification followed. People waited patiently for days, weeks, and months as companies processed their answers on intelligence, attractiveness, quirks, and preferences, and would perhaps find them matches .. the hope for true love. The questionnaire model dated back to the Scientific Marriage Foundation in 1957 and flourished throughout the '60s and '70s. Any time of profound social change calls for a good date.

'Inevitably, the singles game is putting technology to use,' LIFE magazine declared back in 1967, 'and the computer-dating service is growing as steadily as the price of a share of IBM.' The article describes 'punchcard-plotted introductions' that cost $5 to $150. It emphasizes the perils that, even now, many ascribe to romance via machine:

Couples who meet by computer tend to be embarrassed and even hostile. Drinking takes care of the embarrassment but not the hostility. 'You needed a computer, didn't you? So what's wrong with you?' a man sneers at the end of an evening. Or the girl does. Or both do.

These services expanded along with our society's moral flexibility, technology, and the enthusiasm of young date-hungry entrepreneurs, particularly during the second half of the 1960s. In Thy Neighbor's Wife, journalist Gay Talese described pornographer-to-be Al Goldstein as a subscriber to a 'computer dating service' circa the mid-'60s (though apparently the service was, like many during this era, fraudulent). Harvard students founded a landmark computer-dating service around the same time, and as the Crimson reported in 1965, 'Their banner reads 'SEX,' their creed is written on the circuits of a computer, and their initial organized uprising is called Operation Match.' A black-and-white video celebrates the 'computer marriages' emerging from Operation Match by 1968. It cost $3 to sign up, and more than a million romantic souls had responded during the service's first years.

These virtual matchmaking systems proved quite popular among college students who wanted to keep dating casual, according to one 1978 article. Even rock songs emerged to laud the trend. The Crimson shares relevant '60s lyrics:

Well, I filled out my form and I sent it along,
Never hoping I'd get anything like this.
..
We put 2 and 2 together, and we came one with an I.B.M. affair.
She's my I.B.M. baby, I don't mean maybe,
She's my I.B.M. baby.

These dating services evolved quickly in subsequent decades. People began using phones and more photos, and by the 1980s, video and primitive chat rooms on the early Internet (think of New York's 50 BSS computer networks that existed around 1984, which offered 24-hour-a-day flirting right at your keyboard). The New York Times reported of a 'Computer Dating Dance' held at Stony Brook in the 1980s. Various anecdotes confirm, however, that daters of yesteryear suffered from the same problem online daters do now -- the goods often failed to match the bill, as a 1984 article wryly relates:

'No doubt about it. There are people on the network who are plain crazy,' says Pam Dunn, alias Zebra3, of New York City. 'Someone will talk to you on the private line, and you'll be having a great conversation. You're chatting for 15 minutes, then all of sudden they may ask for something really obscene.'

Even 37 years later, many women (and men) who attempt online dating can likely relate to these socially dysfunctional mishaps from certain suitors. Also enduring throughout the years are problems of misrepresentation: of age, weight, attractiveness, and height, as with the man who claimed to be 6' tall and 'mysteriously shrunk to about 5 feet 6 inches in person.' These issues have unlikely been resolved even on today's Internet.

Computer Dating Advice

Explore the complete Old, Weird Tech archive.

Speed dating area near garden city ks. Images: 1: Infoworld; 2. LIFE. Dating for singles in flint.

Best Computer Dating Sites

So you want to date someone with passion and drive?

And maybe, just maybe, you'd like them to value education, be polished enough to at least look good in black-and-white photos (or be adorably awkward on a 3-minute video date) and have a strong enough command of grammar that they know not to end sentences with a preposition. While your mother may call you picky, we call you self-aware. Join The League, a community designed for the overly ambitious. Read our mission statement.

Efficient Matching

Every day at Happy Hour we will give you Prospects to review in The League app. We do our very best to only show you to people who meet your preferences, AND where you meet theirs, prioritized by people you actually have a decent shot at conversing with. We don't believe in wasting anyone's time here.

Balanced Community

An advanced screening and monitoring system keeps our community well-balanced, highly-engaged, and full of high-powered (and empowered) people who are ready for a long-term relationship. When you swipe right on The League, your chances of matching and conversing are sky high!

Politeness, Not Games

Swipe right on everyone but don't ever message? You're only hurting yourself, by increasing your flakiness score! This gets you deprioritized in the matching algorithm. Matched with a flake? We'll be the bad guy for you - we expire your Matches after 14 days!

Authenticated Community

You'll never have to wonder if that Harvard hottie is too good to be true on The League, everyone must authenticate their account. Let us do the LinkedIn stalking for you..

Personalized Prospects

We always send you the best Prospects for you, first. We believe in quality over quantity, and that smart (but finite) daily recommendations are better for busy people than an unlimited buffet of options. We let you set ultra-specific preferences and only suggest you a few Prospects a day that we think you will actually like. Save your time, energy, and swipe thumb.

Smart Blocking

Authenticating with LinkedIn will protect your privacy and block you from your business connections and coworkers who also authenticated. Link Facebook to block friends & family..

Dating can be a marathon, so take a shortcut by going on 3 dates in 9 minutes

In the time it takes to order a drink on one date, you'll be matched with 3 users in your area that match your preferences. As sparks typically fly in just moments, these mini-dates save users time and energy--all from the comfort of your couch.

1:1 Video Chat: The safest way to meet in today's world..

Not to mention, the most convenient and cost effective. Once you match, no need to swap phone numbers, just use our video calling to talk to each other. Click the video button once you agree on a time and --voila-- fall in love or just enjoy meeting someone new. Your call.

Say goodbye to wondering if they look like their profile pictures

League users can now add a 10-second video to their dating profile. Stand out from the rest of the pack by being in full-color and moving, get priority in our matching algorithm and increase your like rate - video is in!