November 6, 2007 7:18 AM PST

'Adventurous' dating through CrazyBlindDate.com

by Caroline McCarthy
  • Font size
  • Print
  • 8 comments

"Sometimes you just want to go out immediately, with reckless abandon."

So says the front page of CrazyBlindDate.com, which aims to get people together on sporadic blind dates with very little notice. The site--whose creators also are responsible for OKCupid.com--was soft-launched in Austin awhile back and officially entered a beta phase on Tuesday with new urban centers in New York, Boston, and San Francisco. The interface is sleek, and the concept is cool, but with this kind of thing it's really all about the people who use it.

Short version: You fill out a bunch of forms, get alerted, and then go on a date with someone whose photo you've never seen. (Eek!)

Longer version: CrazyBlindDate is pretty methodical. You select your city, tell the site whether you'd like to go on a solo date or double date and narrow down the times and neighborhoods that work for you. The site then asks you how much notice you need pre-date. I live in New York, and CrazyBlindDate was even courteous enough to ask me if I were an NYU or Columbia student who wanted to be set up with a fellow student. (They require a university e-mail address to confirm.)

Then you get to be picky, selecting preferred age ranges, ethnicities, heights, body types, and education levels (Grey's Anatomy freaks, you can choose to go on a date with someone who has a med school degree!) If you're too picky, a little alert box will pop up and say you might want to loosen up. But come on, really, I wasn't being that finicky by requesting an athletic guy under 35 who's over 6'1", has a graduate degree, and could meet me in Tribeca, right?

Let's face it: This site is going to get used by a whole lot of lonely people who want to get some tail (and by Grey's fans who want to go on dates with cute doctors).

Fortunately for CrazyBlindDate, there are a whole lot of people who fit that description. I smell a successful dot-com brewing.

Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline.
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (8 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
This could be tons of fun
by tjn4lfe November 7, 2007 2:32 PM PST
Hey! You just described me...

Under 35 - Check
Over 6'1" - Check
Single - Check
Educated - Check (recent med school grad)
Local to Tribeca - Darn... no luck there, I'm in Cali.

Nice article though.
Reply to this comment
Check out this site
by sarahlane21 November 14, 2007 1:18 PM PST
Very good information Check out FlingHotties.com if your looking for a good dating site.

Click here to enter flinghotties.com
Reply to this comment
by mikeylee7875 March 10, 2008 3:58 AM PDT
too many dating sites around check also free dating
Reply to this comment
by lisasex August 26, 2008 6:21 PM PDT
Great article though
RealHotties
Reply to this comment
by lisasex August 26, 2008 6:21 PM PDT
Great article though
RealHotties
Reply to this comment
by matchmate October 12, 2008 9:30 PM PDT
I have used it and love to recommend www.matchmate.ca as well. <a href="http://www.matchmate.ca" /> online dating service </a>
Reply to this comment
by matchmate October 12, 2008 9:35 PM PDT
Check out www.matchmate.ca if your looking for a good dating site.

Click here to enter matchmate.ca for <a href="http://www.matchmate.ca" /> online dating service</a>
Reply to this comment
by matchmate October 12, 2008 9:37 PM PDT
great online dating sites are there check out www.matchmate.ca<a href="http://www.matchmate.ca">free online dating service</a>
Reply to this comment
(8 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

About Webware

Say No to boxed software! The future of applications is online delivery and access. Software is passé. Webware is the new way to get things done.

Add this feed to your online news reader

Webware topics

15 sites that went kaput in 2009

Web sites launch all the time, but they also shut their doors. We highlight 15 that bit the dust this year.

Top 10 news stories of the decade

Let the debate begin: Was the iPhone more important than iTunes? Was anything bigger than Google finding a great business model? CNET offers its list of the 10 most important stories of the '00s.

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right