The two thought it would be interesting to see whether users of different dating sites define success differently. Other researchers have looked at how people connect online, how sites construct profiles, or how much people lie - the kinds of questions you can ask at the beginning of a relationship. Mascaro and Magee were more intrigued by what happens later.
They analyzed the success stories posted by users of three of the sites - eHarmony, Match.com, and OkCupid.
Mascaro and Magee found that most people who took the time to tell a story were pleased to be married, engaged, or dating, but the proportions varied widely by site. Eighty-four percent of the stories on eHarmony were about marriage, compared with 46.7 percent on Match.com and 23 percent on OkCupid. Only 0.5 percent of eHarmony users saw fit to celebrate dating, while 20.8 percent of Match.com users and almost half of OkCupid customers considered that success.
The Drexel researchers said that they didn't ask the sites whether they culled stories to emphasize a certain type of success, but that they found evidence the sites weren't doing much to edit or sort stories. Mascaro said he and his wife posted their story on Match.com and it appeared as they had written it.
OkCupid did not respond to The Inquirer's questions about how it handles success stories. A spokeswoman for eHarmony said it posts as many success stories as it can, but added, "The stories posted are intended to help inspire people who are looking for love." A Match.com spokeswoman, who said her job is to edit the stories for grammar, said the site posts virtually every story. There are 150 to 200 a month.
