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From: israel@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: On-line computer dating
Message-ID: <4378@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 10-Dec-83 21:43:20 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.4378
Posted: Sat Dec 10 21:43:20 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 11-Dec-83 04:59:56 EST
References: <112@wdl1.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 34

There is a similar system in here in the D.C. area called the Georgetown
Exchange, except that it sounds like this one works a lot better (and is
also cheaper).  Its not a computerized system, though.  The way it works
is that for ten dollars you can record a one-minute tape of what you are
looking for and what your interests are.  They have two phone numbers,
one which plays the women's tapes, and one for the men's tapes.  They
are free to call up and listen to them and each tape comes with a box
number.  If you want to reply to any, you write them a letter and put
it in a sealed envelope with the box number written on the outside.
You mail this envelope in a larger envelope to the Georgetown Exchange,
and you enclose a dollar for each letter.  Its probably one of the
cheapest such things around; ten dollars to place an ad, one dollar to
reply to one, and its free to listen to the ads.  They also have some
other deal where you can get a voice response box, so in addition to
getting letters, people can call up another number for free and leave
messages directly for that box.  I assume that that is more expensive,
but I don't know how much (maybe one dollar for each message left?).

I've called them up a couple of times, just to listen.  Its very
interesting.  I can't tell you about the M/F ratio, but there are
usually plenty of women on the women's phone line.  There seem to be
a predominance of women in the 32 - 60 age bracket, but there are more
than a few under that also.  I've never replied to one, though there's
been an occasional tape that I've toyed with responding to.

Has anyone out there ever used one of these systems (or even the more
expensive video-dating services) or similar type things?  What sort
of experiences did you have?
-- 

^-^ Bruce ^-^

University of Maryland, Computer Science
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