Your Dating Profile Not Exciting Enough? Just Borrow Someone Else's

from the nobody-knows-you're-a-dog dept

Fri, Feb 22nd 2008 6:12pm — Dennis Yang

Now that online dating has become commonplace, would-be suitors are having a hard time making themselves seem interesting in an increasingly large dating pool. So, what to do if your own interests and achievements are boring and average? Well, just borrow the good bits of the exciting profiles that you find, and add them to your own. Apparently, these acts of profile plagiarism are fairly commonplace now amongst the online dating set. When people find well-written, exciting descriptions, they grab them for their own profiles. Unfortunately for the daters, eventually, a real-world meeting delivers a product that the marketing has misrepresented, and disappointment usually results. Although in some cases, it's possible to track down the "original" author, most origins are fairly difficult to trace -- surely more than one person enjoys "long walks on the beach."

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Filed Under: copy, dating, profiles

29 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2008 @ 7:17pm

I came across one once that said they ate at Tacobell and it gave them inspiration to write a song called "Chocolate Rain".

had me in tears!!!
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Mike, 22 Feb 2008 @ 9:14pm

Teachers Controversial Tools
There is a huge hubub in academia about plagiarism, and tools to detect it. Maybe those tools would find great acceptability in a new market.

http://www.shambles.net/pages/staff/ptools/
http://wwwlb.aub.edu.lb/~eplagio/Anti_plag.h tm
http://www.plagiarism.org/
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Feb 2008 @ 1:14pm

I'm not sure if it's the users that actually put up duplicate content, but more the dating site owners putting up fake profiles to make their member base look bigger.

Dating sites like that shady Adult Friend Finder got it's start by making fake profiles to trick people into joining it.
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4-80-sicks, 23 Feb 2008 @ 1:34pm

Re:
I'm not sure if it's the users that actually put up duplicate content, but more the dating site owners putting up fake profiles
Read the Wall Street Journal article linked in the post, it's clearly not that.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Feb 2008 @ 1:42pm

Personally, I'm just waiting for the first false advertising lawsuit from this.
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bleh, 23 Feb 2008 @ 3:50pm

NEXT!
with the common person looking for a relationship, one would think that it wouldn't be hard to come up with something original. its quite easy to stand out in a crowd if you live to make people laugh. For example one could write this as a "personal profile". Hi! I'm a 37 y/o male with an extreme hair problem, (it keeps growing back!) who likes to take long walks off of short piers, and those new fangled concrete shoes :) you must be a female, (humans are my preference as my last date with a bovine ended up with me somehow covered in hay....) she must be willing to laugh as i have been told im extremely funny (looking)!
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inc, 23 Feb 2008 @ 7:21pm

Cherry Chocolate Rain is mo pimp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x2W12A8Qow&feature=related
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4-80-sicks, 23 Feb 2008 @ 7:42pm

its quite easy to stand out in a crowd if you live to make people laugh.
and...if you don't? As a fan of the old comedians I like your example, but I can't write anything like that myself, at least not well :-)
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Wmith, 24 Feb 2008 @ 8:27am

online dating
Online dating depends on a great picture and profile to get to the initial meeting--unlike personal meetings. Do whatever it takes!!
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Feb 2008 @ 10:27am

... wow techdirt hit yet another new low ... talking about online dating is sad, really.
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Dirty ole man, 24 Feb 2008 @ 1:47pm

on line dating
Horny old man wants 21y/o honeys for fun and head games of all kinds. Sex is required on first date. This one works every time, try it for yourselves', I haven't copied righted it yet and there is no patent either! Go for it !
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Jeff Giarraputo, 24 Feb 2008 @ 9:07pm

I love online dating
There's a new bestselling novel, soon to be made into a movie, based on a true story of a fat, smelly nerd who uses advice from the internet to go out with a woman for the first time in his life. He even marries her in the end.

The Japanese word for fat, smelly nerds is "otaku", i.e. people who never leave the house.

The movie company recently hired thousands of otakus to run around Tokyo as extras in the movie, and now the otakus are complaining about "defamation".
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Your shamed lover, 24 Feb 2008 @ 9:30pm

Hints for you Guys...
Women are not actually attracted to men. There is a vague idea of what a man is physically, and some are better than others aesthetically speaking, but the purely physical appearance of a man is almost inconsequential unless he is horribly ugly or outrageously attractive.

Women are attracted to status, money, how much a man smiles and laughs, how many friends and resources a man has, how full a man's life is--how many "cool," "exciting" and prestigious things he is doing or connected to.

Last week when carpooling to work, I received a treat which flys in the face of what I just said..

Some movement again caught my eye, and the man on the left was waving at me. Thinking I might know him, I took my sunglasses off to get a better look. In reality, this should of been a sign to turn away, but I was confused.

Then he some how managed to keep one foot on the gas, along with his right hand on the steering wheel, and in a matter of seconds this guy was able to stand up with his whole front body facing me (which I'm still baffled how you managed to do this and drive) He then started pelvic thrusting his 'cash and prizes' in my direction, while laughing hysterically, like i just opened a can of peanuts, but a snake made out of springs popped out. This action looked much like any movie where you see a male stripper pelvic thrusting, but unlike its done in the movies usually with the saftey of boxer shorts, or tight black pants like the Chippendale's wear. Not this guy, no no. You had the pants, and the boxers pulled down, and your t-shirt pulled up a little. I even saw belly button.

This act lasted around 5, or 6 seconds, then he cowardly took the next exit to escape my face full of horror.

But this message, flasher dude, is not to express anger, its to let you know that my friend that was driving is upset she missed this horrifying/hilarious act. We would really like you to drive by us again, but this time on the driver side.
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Alimas, 25 Feb 2008 @ 6:31am

Re: Hints for you Guys...
"Women are not actually attracted to men"
"but the purely physical appearance of a man is almost inconsequential unless he is horribly ugly or outrageously attractive."

Uhm....can't keep logical consistency from one end of a sentence to another much?
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suckerpunch-tm, 25 Feb 2008 @ 7:52am

re: Your Dating Profile Not Exciting Enough?
It's not about stealing another person's profile that has nothing to do with you... It's about stealing words written by a better writer that still describes yourself.

I never understood why a guy would lie when emailing a woman. I mean if the intent is to actually meet her, isn't she going to know very soon that you're only 5'7" and not 6'1"?

But on the other hand, sometimes other profiles say the same thing you'd say about yourself, but do it in a funnier/smarter/more clever/etc... way than you could yourself.
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Etch, 25 Feb 2008 @ 9:40am

Re:
Here's one I used once: "I'm your average Software programmer with 4 women tied up to the heater duct in my basement, looking for a fifth to keep them company!
Dinners include Bread and water. Must do well under captivity and follow orders without occasionally dashing for the front door!"

Believe it or not, I actually got a few messages and a date from this profile! I won't go into detail on their mental health and I'll just leave it at that :P
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Etch, 25 Feb 2008 @ 9:45am

Re: Re: Hints for you Guys...
She means its all about personality. A women would pick an average looking man with an exciting and fun personality over an underwear model who is kind of a dullard anyday.
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Jess, 3 Mar 2008 @ 9:03pm

Re: Re: Re: Hints for you Guys...
im surprised you con make such a sweeping generalization about what women want. everyone knows women don't know what they really want from a man. i'm a college student and most of my girlfriends won't date a guy unless he draws their eye upon first sighting, and gets the cuteness approval from our friends as well.
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charles james, 6 Mar 2008 @ 2:40am

hook me up..
hi
i am a lovely guy ready to meet new friend that i can be interested with
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From: Mrs.Mable Kabila., 15 Apr 2008 @ 2:21am

Re:
From: Mrs.Mable Kabila.
PLS REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR SECURITY REASONS
mable.kabila777@yahoo.com

My Dear,

I am Mrs.Mable Kabila,from Democratic Republic of Congo.There is an imformation I would like you to keep very confidential There is sum ammount of money my Husband Late President Laurent Kabila,deposited in a security company Abidjan Cote d'ivoire for safe keeping.Before he was killed by his Eldest Millitary Son.The squable happened as immediately we returned back from our London trip.My husband married us two.I am the second wife.I will not be able to give you the full details that led to that urgly incidents.

The Eldest Son is the current President of our country now.For now I am staying in Abijdan,the capital of Republic of Cote d'voire,just to save my life,with my three children.The money in question,is 22,Million U.S.Dollars.I can not make the withdrawal of this fund,because my husband registered the Beneficiary of the fund as his (Foriegn Bussiness Patner)and also(Family valuables as the content of the deposit)The documents of the deposit are with me.

What I would want you to do,is to assits me to get the consignment withdrawn from the security company,and we shall open a small account in a Bank here in your name,and transfer the money to your country,through the account.We shall replace the name Foriegn Patner to your own name,because the code was used for security reason.I will give you the 10 percent of the money for your assitance.I will use the remain balance of the money for an investiment in your country for the future of my children.

If you are intrested,and can maintain the very confidential of this transaction,you e-mail me immediately for more clearification,and also note that I am a refugees in Abidjan,Cote d'ivoire becaues of the assasnation of late husband,and the civil war going on in our country,Democratic Republic of Congo.

I can speak little english, and my son also speaks english very well his name is Mark and his tell is:00225 09487353 .you can call him for more information.

PLS REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR SECURITY REASONS mable.kabila777@yahoo.com

Thank you very much.

Mrs.Mable Kabila.
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Michael Stevens, 17 Apr 2008 @ 1:51am

Markus frind Plenty of Fish and Ezdate123.com
I enjoyed reading all the posts and comments about Markus. This is really a great success story. I am Mike Stevens and I own Ezdate123 This is another free dating site that started out as a pay site. We have been following Markus and his business model. Plenty of Fish is a great website. I actually use it myself and respect markus enough that I will not spam my Ezdate123 through his site....Keep it going Markus... The best to you, Mike/Ezdate123
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Free Online Dating, 22 Jun 2008 @ 11:06am

Fake Profiles
I've use adult friend finder before ... after months of using the site I started to notice a trend. They do create fake profile, send fake messages all to keep you coming back for more ... its a shame people still fall for it. I know use The Other MySpace Free Online Dating Site Its a great site ... no soliciting and all real profiles. A must see.
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Sydney, 19 Feb 2009 @ 4:14am

Dating
That's Right! i think it’s a brilliant way of dating. Now a day’s people are using Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch. It has given a great contribution to increase dating. Really it a good thing for couple they mostly use online dating and i think it is very safe. We are getting interesting Articles and we are enjoying a lot after reading. I would like to tell you one thing about online dating as you know that recent study found most people were impressed with their online dating match until actually meeting them face to face, sometimes between them and the door! Also, you can tell a great deal about someone from their voice, and tone. Helps weed out the fakes. We should alert for all these types of problems. Great post and I look forward to reading more! :) Thanks a lot! Sydney Brisbane Dating
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pancho estraella, 10 Aug 2009 @ 5:02pm

Fakes profiles have a common mistake
Watch for the poor use of grammar. The employees who are obviously not american do not use proper english. You will notice minor yet totallly obvious mistakes that are not possible by some one born and raised in the united states.

If it seems to good to be true, IT IS!
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jasmine, 28 Jun 2010 @ 6:08pm

Re: hook me up..
Hi happy day to you,
my name is jasmine who viewed your profile today in www.techdirt.com and like it very much,which makes me to write to you to let you know that i am intrested in you,therefore i will like you to write me back through my mail address so that i will tell you futher about myself and send you also my picture for you to know me physically. Here is my please reply me in my mail address, (jasminegodwin4u@yahoo.in) .It is better that we do not count on age,religion,colour even our distance since they don't matter because what matters most is real love. Waiting to read from you direct in my mail address.hears from you
Miss jasmine
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sex, 7 Dec 2010 @ 8:05am

dating
i totally agree with your post
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abc, 21 Aug 2011 @ 10:03am

LS REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR SECURITY REASONS
GO FUCK YOURSELF AND FUCK YOUR MOTHER WITH A CUCUMBER
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Pheromone Perfume, 14 Jan 2014 @ 6:19am

Pheromones and Dating
Singles who have attended pheromone parties haven't ruled it out.

The Pheromone and dating parties - which have been held in New York and Los Angeles and are planned for other cities - ask guests to submit a slept-in T-shirt that will be smelled by other participants.

Then, voila! You can pick your partner based on scent, of so the theory goes.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2016 @ 11:44pm

Re: dating
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