I am always coming up with random ideas and random projects to keep myself sharp and entertained. Some of these ideas are more fun than others, and most only keep my attention for about 2 weeks before I am distracted by the next shiny object on the web. Hopefully my latest endeavor will last a bit longer. It is an little experiment in turning the online dating process inside out. It is called LinneaDates and it is part blog, part personal ad, part marketing project, and all fun.

The idea for the site (which I am sure has been done to some extent before) came after a recent conversation with Linnea in which she expressed her frustration with dating and with men, and explained that she was heading into online dating. After hearing some of her dating horror stories, and knowing that Linnea is a solid writer, I offered to help her put two and two together and package it in a professional and attractive way. This was done in collaboration with a co-worker who is launching a great little product called blogudio…he is primarily responsible for the design.

At the end of the day, aside from having fun, I am curious to see how this all works. Response has been great so far and people are flocking to the site and praising it up and down. I feel that doing something like this solves two of the inherent problems that come with online dating.

1. People feel pathetic and embarrassed doing it
2. You are one profile in a sea of millions of singles.

Creating a mini site, or dating-blog, allows someone like Linnea to go on the offensive and have fun with the idea of hunting for a mate online. By being the aggressor and treating yourself as a commodity rather than a pathetic fish in a giant online dating sea, it takes some of the pressure off and somehow makes the whole thing a bit more acceptable.

My good friend and sometimes co-conspirator Peter Caputa sees the value here…anyone else?

This is the start of something big… You want to find a date, sell a house, get a job. Don’t list yourself in a marketplace like everyone else. Practice a little thought crime: Put up your own website and market yourself.

Ebay, craigslist, rent.com, blah. DIY.

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