Meet Potential Lovers Over a Drink with CrazyBlindDate

Seems like a cool little site. Well designed (i played on it for a while). We probably need something like this in the UK.

It will be interesting to see how this develops.

I love this idea. Makes me wish I were single so I could try it out.

Why doesn’t it work everywhere? Sounds rare to make a web that words within a few cities, especially if it doesn’t work in the UK, as comment #1 says. Doesn’t even have to translate it.

I like the SMS feature through their system which help them to contact each other without providing the cell phone number.

Cool Man,

The more the merrier is an old adage, no more truer than today.

http://tekno-world.blogspot.com

this will be a bomb.
why waste your time with a gamble date?

YOU REALLY NEED TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

mmmm…., we can’t wait to try it ♥ ♥ ♥

Hope this gets to Miami, I just broke up and want to try it.

Risk takers

I like the fact that it’s so random, but then again increases the risk if you don’t even get to screen them out at all first… Overall I like it though

okay… seems nice.. but who would be the people participating.. i wonder @@.. i wun want to have a shock of my life.

anyone tried it out yet?

#12: “but who would be the people participating…”

Dave McClure, Miss (Mr.) Universe, countless Indian programmers…

/go ahead, Mikey–spank me. SPANK ME!!!!

@ Alex Luna:

My guess on why it’s not available in all areas is this little tidbit:
“The site will only put you on dates in public places like bars and cafes, so you won’t find yourself in any particularly dangerous situations.”

The website has to know something about the area to select only “safe” places, so it automatically limits the opening of this website to only a handful of different areas until they can gather more data on more cities.

We are also trying to bring aspects of speed dating to the web. CBD has an interesting approach, but I guess you have to meet quite a number of people to get to the right one (and thus spend quite some time doing it).

Our take is that people know it after a couple of seconds if they like somebody or not. So why spend the time to meet in person? After all, this is the age of online video?

Michael

–
http://viibee.com, online dating is fun again

(in case you’re interested: we wrote a bit about our ideas here http://viibee.com/blog/?p=12)

Great idea, they really captchured what blind dates are about. I just wish they had not done it using 30 pages of forms.

Its almost easier to set up a real blind date. Cut down the number of forms or combine some steps.

Great, just what I need. Another way to waste time on low probability dates. For bottom feeders, congratulations, you’ve hit the bottom.

I live in Austin and went on a date through the site during its Beta. It had a few quirks: It says that once a date is set you can communicate by text messages that are relayed anonymously through the web site. My text never got to her and contained important information that I could not get to her in any other way.

There were a couple other small problems with the way the site works, but overall it was a great experience. I hate the “shopping” atmosphere of most dating sites and feel like I always have a better chance getting a date when I meet someone in person than by trying to summarize who I am with quizzes and pictures online.

By not being allowed to see who your date is beforehand, both of you go in with no expectations. It was quite a bit of fun.

The concept this site is gambling on, could be a fun for people looking for someone to get along with. Its a really good site to try. They provide you an opportunity to get love from the bottom of your heart.

How long before MLM people start using this as a source of potential downstream clients?

“VIAKGr4 c!alis CHEAPEST ANYWHERE would like to meet you at the Orbit Room at 8pm”

sorry, but I’m old school… if you wanna blind date, just go to Craigslist.com
they have a great prostitution section

Quite the novelty act… I can see some people trying it ONCE (just after ballroom dancing classes, and before the suicide bomb…). My question is this: since when did hooking-up require such absurd “stunts”? Maybe I’m old-fashioned, or fashionably sceptical, but I prefer hook-ups based on actual chemisty… chemistry that is earned & enjoyed. If you’re going to use craigslist “missed connections” or jacksawjane, fine. But let’s keep this one in the closet!

This is just flat out a terrible idea and i can’t beliueve techcrunch even legitimizes it with a full write up - the only blind date i’d go on is if a friend i trusted set it up. as a female, i’m worried enough meeting someone online, so no way in heck i’m showing up to some random date a website has set up, especially when i’ve never seen the person i’m meeting. This is obviously set up by guys, and no female in their right mind would do this (actually, no attractive guy either).

Encouraging risk taking..?

http://www.meetingflex.com
Social Networking + Video - Crap

can attractive people use this or is it for fugly people only?

#24 - hahaha, I would assume it’s for people who are unsure of showing a picture. I want to send a friend on a mission and report back…

Hmm, after going through the pages I’d have to say that if OKCupid (you find out they own this site on page 17 or so) has to diversify their features without integrating into one site, then online dating sites will always be a dead end. They’ve been a bit stagnant for a while and if they can’t do anything about that and so just start up a new site idea (let’s throw the phrase “user stories” in here someplace), it says a lot about the possibilities of online dating sites.

#22 - wow, quick to judge. I think it’s a brilliant idea, and I happen to be female.

This won’t work, and I will tell you why:

1. Safety - this will be a stalker/predator’s field day, as they can divulge minimal information, and then meet out. It does not matter if the place is a public place or not, the hook is they met you, and could follow you.

2. Weird - having a blind date when set up by a friend is awkward enough, but once set up by a 6 question algorhythm, is just weird.

Lastly, what happens when you show up, and the person is NOT anything you normally would go out with? Then, you have to waste at least an hour, plus your night, and get out of there.

This is the stupidest online-dating idea I have ever heard. Pictures — however misleading — are the reason online meeting works better than blind dates.

so video should work even better huh?

If nothing else the design of the website is really appealing.

@ 27

You must be one of the ugly ones using it.

terrible idea… wow. cheers, chrisco, a a guy who did a bunch of online dating in DC and in fact met his wife online

ps: in my online dating experience, if a person (woman in my case) didn’t have a photo it was a major red flag… in fact, it was a deal killer. if the picture was only a head shot, i learned that more often than not you had a plumper on your hands and to stay away (unless you are into that). the main point is that a pic is required and you need to know that whatever pic someone posts on a dating site is probably the all-time best picture they could find. so if that picture is mediocre… well… then… you know.

@ #28: that’s why you *always* need an out. for example, have a friend call you shortly into the date and say something like: “dude, the pipes in the apartment burst, you gotta come right now.” there’s your out, if you need it. if you don’t, then you can just wave off the call. also, you should plan the first date to be brief to begin with… everybody should know that. you just both need to meet in person and see if there’s chemistry.

This is more innovative than anything else we’ve seen out of the online dating arena in a long time. There’s a lot of money in this space, but the big players haven’t been doing a hell of a lot more than spending money on marketing. Kudos to CrazyBlindDate for shaking things up.

#37 Uhhh dude,… I have to assume you work there or somethin’.

“shaking things up” - the only thing CrazyBadDecision is doing is sponsoring next day water-cooler elegies, pepper-sprayed with the words “why” and “did I”.

Here’s a better idea if you guys from okcupid are reading this :

instead of total blind dates, why not use the 6 million profiles or so you already have on okcupid (i’m one of them) and ask to willing participant members to do the following :

-> select 20 members from your city as “favorites” within, say, the next week

One thing i like about okcupid is their matching algorythm,which is by far more accurate than any other dating site. That means each member of a given city will probably choose their 20 “faves” already based on pictures and chemistry % resulting from the algorythm.

There’s a high probability at this point that least 2 or 3 matches will chose you also as one of their fave.

When that happens (and even if there’s only one cross-favorite), then the website could setup the date that would be “partially blind”, because you wouldn’t know which of the 20 you selected will show up at the date.

Get the idea ? It’s like a wedding checklist or a christmas gift list, you never know in advance what you gonna get

I see in my idea a much better compromise, because i’m sure that past a first date with a girl you find ugly or boring, you’ll never want to use crazyblinddate.com ever again.

I think this “half-blind” date concept would be by far a better way for okcupid to monetize it and make it work, because they already have a huge database of profiles from okcupid they could submit the concept to and have them enrolled for a trial very quickly.

I know i would sign up immediately to such a concept.

What do you guys think ?

I think. I know. This is a brilliant idea. And I also like skidoo’s variation.

Ann (#23)

They specifically say “We understand it’s not for everyone, but it is for social, outgoing, and adventurous people”, obviously that does not include yourself.

As for your comment “no female in their right mind would do this (actually, no attractive guy either)” — well, I have a date tonight, so you are incorrect on both counts.

Ray Doustdar (#29),

How is this remotely a “stalker/predator’s field day”? Why would someone like that go through all the trouble of setting up a _blind_ date when they can just go to any random coffee shop and see people?

If anything, this is *anti* stalker because you don’t even see the person until you meet them.

And to everyone with negative comments: Stop taking this so seriously. This is a really fun idea and they have targeted it at the right people (the aforementioned “social, outgoing, and adventurous people” they list *on the front page*).

You are given a little information about the person and some answers they wrote to a few questions — if they don’t appeal to you, or if they are looking for something you are not, then don’t go out with them. You don’t see a picture or any details so you have no preconceived notions.

Go out, meet someone new, and — whether it works out or not, or has the potential for a relationship or not — have a fun time in the process. What the hell is wrong with that?

nexus (#43): RE: “Go out, meet someone new, and — whether it works out or not, or has the potential for a relationship or not — have a fun time in the process. What the hell is wrong with that?”

First, I wish these guys massive success. I tip my virtual hat to everyone who “goes for it.” And even if this doesn’t work out, these guys will have leaned a lot, which will help them with their next project.

File the answer under “life is too short.” If you wanted to meet someone online and then meet them in real life, for dating and perhaps sex, wouldn’t you want to use the best tools out there? Or at least ones where you could “see” before you “buy”?

The first thing I learned about online dating is this: you can tell a lot about if a person might have chemistry for you just by looking at a picture. Period. Who’d a thunk it?!

So unless this is a site for “undatables,” which I’m guessing it will may become, then why would you use it (unless you were also an undatable). It will definitely make for some “good” stories. But as far as it attracting good looking people…I doubt it.

I was actually one of the pioneer daters here in Austin and have followed it’s development. Let me share a few tidbits here:

1. the target audience is people of adventurous spirit with a good sense of humor (which I appreciate!)

2. you’re only explicitly ‘required’ to spend 20 minutes with the person. that’s the whole spirit of a CrazyBlindDate (no ’shopping’, no buildup of preconceived notions or expectation, no pressure, and super minimal time commitment)

3. I’m an attractive 29yo guy with tons of friends and who has no trouble meeting people, but their matching algorithm (which I’m fascinated to figure out how it works) has matched me with almost consistent duds (I’ve been on 7 CBDs so far)

4. _because_ of the low expectation for chemistry, it inspires the daters to “make the best” of the situation and ask the question, “what do I like about so-and-so?” instead of “do I like so-and-so?”. I’m an unapologetic optimist, so take this with a grain of salt. I’ve met lots of nice young ladies of all different flavors.

5. I love the novelty and adventure of it and I’m totally hooked. It’s really widened my world up quite a bit. We tend to run in the same circles and meet the same people. On sites where you pick your dates, you think you know what you want, so you end up with the same type of person (or same range of person) every time. CBD does not assume that you know what you want and surprises you.

Did I mention that I love it and am totally hooked?

Evan