Radio Spots Put the 'Ad' in Adultery

'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»

For Ashley Madison creator Noel Biderman, it's a business, not a lifestyle

(NEWSER) - Noel Biderman has a wife and two kids and a stated belief that monogamy is a "failed experiment." But he has to say that, because he created AshleyMadison, the website that caters to people looking for affairs, notes BusinessWeek in a profile. Some highlights:

• Members: The site claims 8.5 million members, of whom 1.3 million have paid for services beyond the free profile (generally to help them communicate with other members). It's available in 10 countries with plans for more.
• Mostly guys: Definitely. When women log on, they're deluged.
• Thanks, Craigslist: Daily visitors to the site are up 13% since Craigslist closed its "adult services" section.

Match.com pays $50M for its free-service rival

(NEWSER) - Match.com has bought rival OkCupid for $50 million, consolidating its hold on the online dating market, Mashable reports. The acquisition provides Match.com—a high-end service that charges its 5.8 million users—with access to lots of new customers. OkCupid is a mostly free site with 3.5 million users. No word yet on whether the pay models will change, notes Time . More»

Reaction seems mostly positive

(NEWSER) - Sports columnist Steve Buckley came out of the closet today, in a heartfelt piece in the Boston Herald that’s garnering widespread praise. Buckley says his mother told him to write the piece seven years ago, but when she died mere months later, he lost his nerve. “I’ve put this off long enough,” he writes. “For too many years I’ve been on the sidelines of Boston’s gay community … figuratively and literally, as I feel I would have had a pretty good career in the (gay) Beantown Softball League.” More»

Internet security companies seek to protect online dating

(NEWSER) - With 20 million Americans using online dating sites, how can you be sure that your prospective date isn't married? Or, say, a mass murderer? New online security services—such as MyMatchChecker.com , Date Check , and the Instant National Criminal Search —are offering background checks on people using the nearly 1,500 dating websites in the United States, reports the New York Times . More»