I find it interesting that this niche manages to survive, and that the most common takes are attacks on the gimmicks rather than the quality of the people signing up.

The last time any dating apps were "good" was when they weren't apps, but websites. People on these sites back then weren't really trying to optimize for anything. Many were honest and had realistic expectations. It was considered a bit loserish because it's the digital version of the want ads. Of course, everyone likes piña coladas.

Dating websites were the less exhausting alternative to going out drinking or finding new social circles. People understood that low risk meant low reward, but hey it was either that or no date at all.

In other words, this was always a pretty bad scene. What changed is the marketing angle more poised to take advantage of the naive. Making it shiny because computers isn't really working anymore. It's crazy it ever did.

I continue to be furious at how Match destroyed OkCupid. OkC of the 2010s was a fantastic and rich community full of interesting people. I met my wife there. I learned about Polyamory from the message boards. Now they've ripped out everything that ever made it good, it's just another Tinderlike

> Dating websites were the less exhausting alternative to going out drinking or finding new social circles

The per-event odds of finding love by going out drinking and joining new social circles are low. But the odds of making some great memories and good friends in the process are pretty high*. At least better compared to the alternative of sitting at home and swiping on an app.

* There's an entire TV show based on this premise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_I_Met_Your_Mother