It is crazy to think that a matching algorithm based on answers to seemingly pointless questions can predict the success of a future relationship. There is no substitute for interpersonal connection in real life. Those looking for love and meaningful relationships should get off of their computers and meet people in person. This is the problem with the majority of dating sites out there-too much focus on the online experience of users rather than the offline interaction. The internet is a great way to network and meet new people but nothing can replace spending time with a person in real life to determine whether or not you will get along with them.
We are very fortunate that Yale makes the process of taking time off so easy. I emailed my Dean the day before registration and didn't need to do anything else. We do plan on going back and graduating.
Thanks for the comment! We're gathering a lot of different events that cover a variety of interests, so we're hoping that we will have something to offer for everyone.
There is definitely room for a ton of innovation and improvement in the online dating industry. Online dating isn't going anywhere and will continue to grow. Social networks and dating sites can be a great way to meet new people. We want to limit the online interaction and have people share an offline experience together as soon as possible. The artificial contact that current online dating platforms provide cannot replace the interpersonal connection that happens in the real life.
Friends of ours started an open lecture/workshop series called HackYale. Besides that there are a ton of great resources on the web. My best advice would be to just start building something and practicing a lot. Tutorials and classes are a great place to start but there is no substitute for actually starting a project from scratch and figuring things out as you go along.
Thanks for responding, I ask because I'm currently mentoring a friend who's trying to learn and I'm curious to see what works for others. When I was learning programming I did more or less the same thing, but also found choosing the right technical books to be instrumental.
We decided to take time off from school because we wanted to fully commit to whatever idea we pursued. We realized that we could not create something meaningful in our spare time. It has already been a tremendous learning experience and we don't regret our decision.
We appreciate the feedback! Like every dating site we will have to address the chicken and egg problem of getting a solid user base (particularly women). However we are working on some clever ways to attract women to the site. More specifically we are developing a matchmaking component which will allow users to pick out dates for their friends and decide not only who their friend goes out with but also what they do.
Is it true that there is a dearth of women in online dating sites in general? If so, where did you see that info? Or is that an assumption you're working from based on the gender ratio in bars/clubs?
