Old-School Matchmakers Thrive Even in Internet Age

eHarmony director lists useless buzzwords

(NEWSER) - Single this Valentine's Day? Then perhaps you'll be interested in this advice from an eHarmony senior director. Grant Langston tells Time the five most overused, meaningless phrases you should take off your online dating profile right now:

• Down to earth: What does that even mean? No one knows. Plus, "even the most superficial, narcissistic person in the world thinks they’re down to earth, so that one is particularly ridiculous."

'Supermarkets of love' no better than bars for meeting people: Study

(NEWSER) - Online dating could help you find your perfect match—but your chances aren't any better than they'd be at a bar, a study suggests. You can't tell much about the people listed on sites like Match.com. Browsing such lists "overloads people and they end up shutting down," the psychology professor behind the study tells Reuters . It amounts to shopping at "supermarkets of love": When you have too many choices, you make bad decisions. More»

'Cathy' will post stuff to your wall to impress your friends

(NEWSER) - There's an easier and cheaper way to make an ex jealous than going outside and finding a real, human girlfriend. For a measly five bucks, you can hire someone to act as your Facebook girlfriend, notes the Washington Post blog . Cathy01, posting on fiverr.com —a site that allows people to offer services for $5—says she'll be your Facebook belle for 10 days and even write up to three faux-affectionate messages on your wall. More»

NYC 23-year-old saved money by dating online suitors

(NEWSER) - How did a young woman in New York City rack up $1,200 a month in free fancy dinners? By signing up for online dating site Match.com and orchestrating a rotation of suitors eager to wine and dine her. "Before I barely had enough money to pay for food," the 23-year-old tells Business Insider . "After using Match.com I found I wasn't going into debt anymore." More»

She wants $8K in damages

(NEWSER) - When most people get dumped, they burn pictures, delete phone contacts, self-medicate with junk food … but when Cheryl Gray got dumped by her Facebook lover, she sued him for all the money she’d spent on their relationship and then some, the Seattle Times reports. After meeting Wylie Iwan through playing Mafia Wars on Facebook, the two got to know each other over subsequent months (even creating a private Facebook group page for two) and decided to meet in person. Gray, a 50-year-old single mother, made arrangements to travel to Seattle, but days before the trip, Iwan, 35, told her he had met another woman. More»