Okaycupid
Chris McKinlay was folded into a cramped fifth-floor cubicle in UCLA's math sciences building, lit by a single bulb and the glow from his monitor. The subject: large-scale data processing and parallel numerical methods. While the computer chugged, he clicked open a second window to check his OkCupid inbox. McKinlay, a lanky year-old with tousled hair, was one of about 40 million Americans looking for romance through websites like Match.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me A Spreadsheet
TL;DR: OkCupid took what young people hate about basic swiping apps and corny dating sites and rebranded into a hip middle ground. Its multi-faceted matchmaking, spotlight on social justice, and low price point make it stand out from competitors.
Let's cut the mushy bullshit and get straight to the point: Online dating gets old real fast. Connecting with people you likely wouldn't have met before sounds amazing at first, but the steps preceding that potential success story can be cumbersome. What's the point of answering questions that everyone lies about anyway if a site's algorithm ignores your filters regardless? All it gets you is weirdos terrorizing your inbox, people who are about to retire , or someone who just wants to bang , even if you requested to only see users who marked that they're ready to get monogamous.
OkCupid may be able to change your mind. Everyone knows the name, but what tons of people especially young people may not realize is that it's not just another eharmony or Match. OkCupid is the perfect happy medium that you might have thought didn't exist. It's ideal for people who don't want anything to do with mindless swiping apps, but who also don't want to feel like they're desperately looking for marriage.
With over 50 million registered users and an average of 50, "Wanna get drinks? OkCupid debuted in , making it one of the OG dating sites. It's no surprise that the majority of users are between 25 and 34, and those young people are most likely to download the app at 7 p.
Millennials are all too familiar with the Sunday Scaries , but I guess having a hottie to chat with makes them suck less. OkCupid pushes for lasting connections using a mix of non-traditional questions and math, and it's pretty foolproof. They accomplish this by diving into both the shallow and deep aspects of a relationship without being corny or forcing people to self-evaluate. The ability to weight the importance of shared value or personality traits in a partner is really handy.
It ends up providing a well-rounded look at users both as a person in general and as a romantic partner, giving the algorithm a pool of data to calculate the compatibility between you and another user.
OkCupid's advertising is outstanding. They deserve endless applause just for that, but I realize many people on dating apps care about more than the aesthetics or the branding. Good thing OkCupid is so much more than that, taking compatibility factors into account that other sites haven't even thought of. OkCupid genuinely wants dating to be a good experience for you, and their multi-faceted matchmaking and modern vibe help you steer clear of feeling like a loser talking to people online.
Before you even sign up, please appreciate how cute this login page is. It is adorable and feels super low-pressure. In , OkCupid went through a major rebranding, and their new advertising is incredible. I am obsessed, guys. You've probably seen their ads plastered on public transportation or on a billboard at least once: They feature bright colors, a cheeky sense of humor, and both same-sex couples and heterosexual couples, all while redefining what "DTF" stands for.
The entire campaign is fresh and inviting and does a exceptional job of making online dating feel cool and not lame. Their slogan is literally "Dating deserves better," and like yeah, it really does.
Gender inclusivity is OkCupid's other huge game changer. As of this writing, the site offers 13 gender identities, 22 sexual orientations , and a dedicated space on your profile for preferred pronouns , so no one is forced to choose a pronoun they're not comfortable with. OkCupid is the only site out there that can truly say it's for everyone, and I applaud them endlessly for that. The questions get way too fake deep for my liking, and honestly, are just begging for people to lie. Do you think the cheaters of the world are actually going to say "Doesn't describe me at all" when asked if they cheat?
Do you think the world's most sensitive, quick-tempered crybaby raises hand wants to admit to constantly picking fights? Hell no. There's no question that that stuff is important, but I just don't think this method will produce the most accurate information on how someone actually acts in a relationship past the honeymoon phase. Good news: Building a profile on OkCupid is genuinely fun.
They'll ask things like "Would you rather share a kiss in a tent or a kiss in Paris? You'll also answer the basics about smoking, drinking, political preferences, religion, and all that good stuff. And that's just to start. After answering those and getting your profile open for business, they also have tons of questions to answer directly on your profile if you want to get even more specific with preference.
Questions like "Do you make your bed every day? You're able to showcase all aspects of your dynamic as a partner without feeling the need to lie. There are also spaces for you to answer prompts about the last shows you binged, your favorite music artists, your talents, etc. The required set of questions only takes about five minutes to complete, and then you're ready to start playing Bachelor or Bachelorette.
You're not bombarded with notifications or emails, which I was extremely thankful for. The top nav is extremely clean and only gives notifications for likes and messages — unlike other sites where people can like you in general, like your photo , send a wink, send a smiley face, send a gift, and whatever TF else these sites think is necessary. I'm big on aesthetics and design when it comes to dating sites I completely roasted AdultFriendFinder about it , and OkCupid is exactly what I want: organized, minimalistic, with all features obvious and labeled so that you don't have to click around to see what the options are.
OkCupid gets major points for how user-friendly it is. OkCupid is also one of the best places for introverts and self-proclaimed geeks to find a kindred soul. The prominence of social justice-related questions has drawn an open minded crowd, creating a safe space that relieves the pressure to be perfect. The opportunity for badges on your profile is a fun way to express yourself: IStandWithPP, Game of Thrones , and "nerd" are a few of the things you can pin to the top of your profile to attract other users who get you.
Fun fact: Game of Thrones has been mentioned over two million times in user profiles. Automatic conversation starter. The same-sex ads were probably an obvious giveaway, but OkCupid is liberal as hell.
Finding a hottie only to find out you disagree on everything is the most awkward bummer ever. Other sites only ask one question about that stuff, which just isn't enough. If you're woke, liberal, and horrified by the dumpster fire that is our current political climate, this is the site for you. Right wingers, you should just exit now and sign up for eharmony — it has history of learning conservative. With OkCupid's recent makeover came a ton of politically charged questions as a way to weed out the not-so-progressive users.
They want to know your opinion on issues such as abortion, immigration, guns, and more to make sure you and your potential partners have political views that are aligned. OkCupid will use these answers to tell potential matches how liberal you are and vice versa, and it's always a plus if you can avoid heated arguments down the road.
According to OkCupid's blog :. Thank you for adding to the vibrancy of the OkCupid community. An online dating site that's open and welcoming to even the quirkiest singles and embraces differences and variety of its users should be a given — not a bonus.
Unfortunately, a lot of OkCupid's competitors have some growing up to do. You go, OkCupid. You go. If you're feeling hopeless about finding love at all, you won't be after being on OkCupid. I literally had likes after having my profile up for two days. OkCupid has such a massive user base with such a wide variety of people, there's no way you're not gonna find a ton of people who find you exactly their type.
The app has that standard swiping app feel but less "I'm judging you solely on your face" vibes. You see one profile at a time and swipe right or left depending on whether or not you're interested, with random profile-building questions thrown in at times to narrow down your pickings even more. If you want more freedom to peruse the dating pool, there's also a discover section. See what potential matches are talking about, search for names, or even type in a hobby, musical artist, or show to see which users near you mentioned the same thing.
It's chill and simple enough to do while you're waiting in line at the store or sitting on the train, all while feeling more sincere than Tinder. OkCupid's overhaul brought a lot of positive changes, but some users weren't psyched about one in particular.
In late , the site decided it would require users to use their real names on their profile instead of usernames like AFunnySassygirl or Superlonelyman. Though it was a goodhearted attempt to make the experience seem more real and less like a creepy AIM chatroom, people especially women were pissed. Being required to give your real name to any and every stranger on the site felt like a huge invasion of privacy to a lot of people, and with the way desperate users can sometimes seem like stalkers, we don't blame them.
If you appreciate the uniform feel of Tinder or Hinge and find usernames super lame, maybe you'd actually like OkCupid more for this. OkCupid received so much backlash that they recanted the policy and said that users can also use a nickname or initials.
OkCupid doesn't have open messaging, meaning randoms can no longer message you before you two have matched. This can be good or bad depending on how you prefer the conversation to start: I personally enjoy it, as one main problem with online dating in general is that ladies get harassed by men who flood their inboxes.
It's genuinely overwhelming and I'd prefer to only be messaged by people I already gave the go-ahead to. Bumble combat this by only letting women message first. Like me, some people were stoked on this. Reddit user reciphered writes:.
I send fewer messages and I receive higher quality responses. I believe this is all because of the requirement to match before messaging. Now women are required to seek out desirable profiles in order to interact with users on the site - just like the men.
I also really like how doubletake has shown me interesting profiles that I wouldn't have found with browsing. The only downside is the low population compared to Tinder. I assumed that only annoyingly persistent men would dislike this change, but according to Reddit, a lot of ladies also aren't feeling it either:.
I either have to "like" people fairly indiscriminately to leave myself open to conversation, or I have to close doors on potential conversation that could be worthwhile.
I was doing just fine having the block feature, or simply not responding to people who weren't worth my time. Luckily, OkCupid's DoubleTake profile allows you to see a good amount of info on a person before you swipe, so you're not about to match with people blindly more on that later. If the closed messaging is the most annoying thing on the site, that's not too shabby.
OkCupid is an American-based, internationally operating online dating, friendship, and social networking website that features multiple-choice questions in order to match members. It is supported by advertisements, by paying users who do not see. OkCupid: Online Dating App 17+. Meet new people & find dates. OkCupid. #64 in Social Networking.
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A reader contacted TechCrunch after his account was hacked.
Online-dating behemoth OkCupid is adding a feature tailor-made for polyamorous people. It will be rolled out to all users on Friday. The move comes in response to a rapid uptick in the number of OkCupid users interested in non-monogamous relationships.
Users complain of account hacks, but OkCupid denies a data breach
OkCupid sometimes abbreviated as OKC [2] , but officially OkC is an American-based, internationally operating online dating , friendship, and social networking website that features multiple-choice questions in order to match members. It is supported by advertisements, by paying users who do not see ads, and by selling user data for data mining. The site supports multiple modes of communication, including instant messages and emails. OkCupid was listed in Time magazine's Top 10 dating websites. OkCupid is owned by Humor Rainbow, Inc.
How a Math Genius Hacked OkCupid to Find True Love
Get the best dating app for singles and find a match based on who you really are and what you love. Online dating should focus on what makes you, well, you - because you deserve it. OkCupid is the perfect wingman. Gay dating, lesbian dating and more - you can even set your pronouns at registration! Meet people, build connections and have great dates with OkCupid -- download now! Your account will be charged for renewal within hours prior to the end of the current 1, 3, 6, or 12 month periods. Auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's iTunes Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period.
TL;DR: OkCupid took what young people hate about basic swiping apps and corny dating sites and rebranded into a hip middle ground. Its multi-faceted matchmaking, spotlight on social justice, and low price point make it stand out from competitors.
The dating site did not immediately return a request for comment from Moneyish. Some users critiqued the new policy as a violation of privacy, making it easier for anyone to target them off of the dating platform.
OkCupid Adds a Feature for the Polyamorous
I n mid-August, couples and lonely hearts packed a Brooklyn basement to hear scientists make sense of something the crowd could not: love. In , Rudder started OKTrends, an in-house blog for OKCupid, as a way to attract new members to a site that was nearly out of money. The posts covered such topics as the best camera angle for a profile picture and how people lie on their profiles — the mysteries online daters wonder about. All of a sudden, Rudder, a one-time indie actor and rock star, had transformed himself into a dating laureate for the data age. Savvy book publishers took note. In Rudder proposed a book based on his blog, and Crown outlasted nine other publishers with a seven-figure bid. Accompanied by a slideshow, he brought up a chart 1 of how straight women rate the men on OKCupid based on their age. The crowd lost it — groans, hoots, hollers, total, uproarious laughter. Rudder demurred. The questioner interrupted. She was looking for a clear-cut answer, a capital-T Truth.
OkCupid review 2019: A hip dating site that's way less lame than the competition
Love is not blind, as it turns out. But opposites attract when people think they are similar. At the same time, the results offer yet another example of how websites like OKCupid are sometimes used as social science laboratories — often without telling their subjects. In June, Facebook disclosed that it had tested to see if emotions were contagious, deliberately manipulating the emotional content of the news feeds for , people. After the disclosure led to an uproar by users, privacy regulators in Europe began looking into whether the social network had broken any local laws. Despite the bad publicity faced by Facebook, OKCupid on Monday published results of three experiments it recently conducted on users.