Consumating is a tag-based dating site that launched in 2005 and was acquired by CNET in December 2005.
The site relaunched today with a few notable changes. Much of the new stuff is cosmetic, although they’ve also created discussion boards around any topic users choose to create. With these changes, Consumating is looking less like a dating site and more like a pure social network (where dating plays large role). This is also a sign that CNET took the acquisition seriously and intends to push the service forward.
I dont like it ….
Seems to me someone is trying to copy MySpace… But who isn’t?
This is very true. There is such a fascination for Google, that we do not see the facts anymore.
I think that one big problem they have is that they want to be everywhere, tempting to block every positions. But, can you be good everywhere, even Google ?
Google looks a little like a big bazar now.
They are also little by little losing their supremacy on their core business : search engine, which is less and less clear. The quantity of information is here, but the quality, and especially the organization/presentation of the information is not optimized anymore.
An excellent search engine, shouldn’t it be like an excellent website : giving the customer the accurate information in 2 or 3 clicks maximum ?
Do we find the accurate information in 2 or 3 clicks anymore on Google ?
Hughes
CNET acquired a niche product to facilitate its own expansion in that market. And it did. Looks like a smart strategy and useful service.
Adam Mathes actually works at Google.
Looks like it went from hip, indie niche to cheezy, pseudo-hip, pseudo-indie mainstream. Nice “gentrification” job C|Net. You’ve transformed a unique offering into a cookie-cutter one.
Armin,
How did you come to that conclusion? Consumating is nothing like MySpace. Consumating isn’t even a social network at the basic fundamental level. Consumating is best described as a “casual dating site.”
wow… can you say aesthetic overhaul? I like it, it’s very clean and unique.
the previous design was also very nice.
I like the tagging aspect, but I’m not so sure I like the redesign. It’s a bit too cluttered.
the site is really quite flawed, i was on for months, shot up in popularity by manipulating question volumes and tagging others to bait for thumbs…it’s really a popularity contest, at least that’s how users see it, and because of the site’s volume of users it’s very hard to break into the top 1000…i was like 4 thousand or something, then shot up to 150 and then didn’t go at all for a few weeks and dropped back to a weighted 600+ which means i’d need over a thousand votes to climb back under 200….this particular thumbing effect seems to really piss people off, coupled with the dull conversation (imho, that’s why i left, tired of people asking others what they think of their hair, tastes, etc…)
BUT what i do like is thumblovin’ which is something a few of us organized to game the system – and you can all do it yourself. simply answer every question with a one or two word quip, then start a conversation thread and invite your co-conspirators and then throw thumbs up to every question from every one of them….if you answer about 20 to 30 questions, and get at least 5 or more folks to thumbup every one of them, then you should shoot from invisible to top 1000 overnight, and from there you can do it again with more questions or new co-consipirators….
what IS the point? people just live to game the system, it’s always been that way….
Fact Check:
The site was actually released as Consumating in early 2005, not August.
Adam and I started it together, but he did not come to work for CNET and is no longer involved in the day to day running or development of the site.
And we didn’t release the conversations with this release – they’ve been around for a bit more about a month, and we’ve had something like 11,000 threads posted with 150,000+ responses. Pretty cool!
Looks like its trying to replicate matchdoctor.com and plentyoffish.com and become a social networking/dating site hybrid the only difference is consumating has no traffic.
“My Peeps!”
I feel like any site that uses the term “peeps” (and isn’t talking about marshmallow chickens) should also take the next step in contrived hipness and suffix every header with “, word!”
“Sign up now, word!”
“What’s your take, word!”
“Find people who don’t suck, word!”
Maybe, “word, g!”
This seems like a fun website! There are so many other ways to find people using stats alone. Why not with tags. They just need more users so that it will be worthwhile – that will take care of itself though!
sam
http://samfind.com
I like the “just overheard” feature. It shows you a glimpse of the wacky conversations had on Consumating.
Ben, facts corrected. Wow, your entire demeanor has changed since the acquisition.
I’ve used Consumating for around 4-5 months. It definately shows more personality than the average profiles, and it is at the beginning a game to learn how to “work the system” (and thumb other people to get thumbs’ up, etc), it does seem to reward overly people who have a lot of time on their hands’ to use the site all the time.
It seems like it could be a great space for group games/experiments in tagging (there’s already a consumating tagging vocabularly of sorts), or for writers, or photographers (that really shine in the questions space).
It’s hard to tag yourself at times if you choose good keywords (books, a list of bands, favorite bars, etc), as a list it doesn’t always show your personality. It definately has some potential. Oddly, since the conversations, it’s been less fun to convo-tag someone (+how_are_you_qm).
As a dating site, it’s much less sleazy than almost all I’ve seen, although it’s doesn’t have any “introduce someone to” social networking features. Actually, I like the lack of a “degrees of seperation” theme, because if you’re trying to meet someone, knowing x # of people shouldn’t be a barrier to entry. A “recommend someone” might be nice, though.
Mike – don’t be fooled – Ben is still the old Ben and we love him for it
You should see my big nose ring.
He only keeps a ring on his big nose. The little nose goes ringless. Totally.
i hear his medium nose has a diamond stud. btw, michael, i think your demeanor has really changed since breakfast.
Well, pretty interface.
“People who are into… music.” Well gee, that narrows it down
Using the “doesn’t suck” tag is funny / edgy when you are talking about products, but just mean when you are talking about people.
Another dating site? The other ones don’t work? Will this one be filled with the same desperate people?
As a regular user of consumating.com… I find a lot of these comments absurd.. Consumating.com is indeed a “social” site and much less of a “dating” site.
Consumating does not attempt to copy “MySpace” in anyway. In fact, they’re doing a lot of thing much better than MySpace.
As far as the site’s ability to function as a dating site… it can and has. Many people I know have found, not only a large group of like-minded friends, but also romances within. Why would consumating work where others fail? The key lies in the openess of the site and the bulk of “free” features that must be paid for on many other such “dating” sites.. Such as actually contacting someone you’re interested in. The site allows 10 free notes per month. These 10 notes are only the “initial” conversation with someone… after that “initial” note, you can pass as many notes back and forth as you wish.. all free. The “tagging” features make the site incredibly fun. Create an account, answer some of the various “Questions of the Week” and watch the tags come flying in. Many users actually converse through tags.
The site is incredibly addictive and has grown a lot in the 3 months I’ve been a member.. Not only does the site keep my attention longer than MySpace or Digg.. It also has a much friendlier atmosphere and community.
Looks like a cool site. I just need to see a mullet tag
Martin, I know. I was just being grouchy. Sorry Ben.
it looks very nice, not a whole lot of features. I have to say that their use of tags is very impressive.
their site was down for a while!!!
My favorite part: the name.
I’m having a hard time not smiling when I think of it.
Consumating. hahahaha. Such a smart name.
Pretty cool and it reminds me of verbdate.com with tags, and google maps. I think verbdate.com is better as I can talk to people all over the world with skype embedded into the profiles! Gilrs look up my file!
http://www.verb...om/About/vanman
Nice..nice post.
It’s dating for the techies. Dating sites are going to become more like bars or clubs, where each one has their own patronage. Go to a Jazz bar/club to meet other people interested in that music.