May 3, 2007 5:25 PM PDT

I'm In Like With You: eBay for love?

by Veronica Belmont

I'm In Like With You is a different kind of dating site. On the site, users spend points to bid for access to people they like. You get these spendable points as you use the site: when you log in, for example, and when you answer simple, seemingly random questions, like "What's your favorite drink?" and "Have you been roller skating since the 8th grade?" that pop up in the lower portion of the window. Unlike most "dating" sites, these questions aren't there to help users make a deep connection--they're just funny factoids. Another way to earn points is to invite people to join (the site is in closed beta now, so those invites are hard to come by) and most importantly, to create a game that people will spend their hard-earned points to win.

Only worth 70 points? Sheesh!

(Credit: CNET Networks)

When you create a game, you ask a simple question of your own. In my example, I've written "Writing an article on IILYW. What's your favorite part of the site?" In order to answer, users must bid points. At the end of a predetermined amount of time, the creator will choose a winner from the top five highest bidders in the game. And that's one of only two ways you can connect with other users--by bidding enough to be a top player in a game, and then by being chosen by the host of the game. You can also connect with people you've invited to join the system. But unlike most social networking sites, you can't just go around friending people willy-nilly.

Once you've won a game, you can communicate with the host though the site by e-mail or over a protected voice system. This means you can then make calls to your contacts safely, without revealing your digits (or learning the other person's).

I'm In Like With You is a cute way to meet single people in your area, but I know lots of nonsingle folks who play just for the amusement value. It's easy to take this kind of thing personally, though (i.e. "Why is nobody bidding on my game? Curses!"). Be careful not to take it too seriously.

I'm In Like With You may not put Match.com out of business, but it's a great way to kill some time and have a few laughs.

Topics:: Social network and groups

Tags:: iilwy,; dating,; love

Share:: Digg; Del.icio.us; Reddit; Facebook; Twitter

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right

The Digital Home
Motorola, RIM leading, with Apple on the rise
Although Apple gets all the attention, Motorola and RIM are still the top handset and smartphone makers in the U.S.
Gallery
Images: Stewart Butterfield's new gaming start-up
The Open Road
What today's tech is teaching tomorrow's workforce
The kids are all right, and they increasingly prefer Apple, Google, and open source. What will this mean for Microsoft?
Beyond Binary
Olympic snow still in short supply at Cypress
Olympic organizers have now shortened training, stepped up trucking of snow, and even turned to adding dry ice to the mix to make sure the venue is ready for the start of the Games.
Video
Apple iPad: Is it for you?
Media Maverick
Netflix has Blockbuster on the ropes
As Blockbuster suffers through another round of layoffs and its stock trades for less than a postage stamp, one has to wonder when Netflix will deliver a knockout.
Video
Apple iPad announcement wrap-up
The Social
Tweeting a book by its cover
An indie magazine in Brooklyn has launched a Twitter account that broadcasts what books people are reading on the New York subway--an attempt to show that e-readers have their voyeuristic disadvantages.
Geek Gestalt
Boeing's next-gen 747 takes first flight
The 747-8 Freighter, whose passenger version is slated to come a year later, is getting tested alongside the 787 Dreamliner in Washington state.
Gallery
Next-generation 747 takes first air (photos)
The Cheapskate
Swag Bucks: Earn rewards for searching the Web
It sounds a little too good to be true, but Swag Bucks looks to be a legitimate way to earn goodies just by running Web searches like you normally would.
Green Tech
Toyota adds 2010 Prius to global recall list
Recall to affect more than 400,000 hybrid models, including the latest Prius, as Toyota seeks to fix a problem with the regenerative brakes, which help charge the cars' electric batteries.