Comments on: If eHarmony Embraces the Gays, Should Manhunt Straddle the Strais?

By: Grace Chu

Grace Chu — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:24:26 +0000

Just a quick note about eHarmony. Their compatibility test is patented (US pat. 6,735,568). This paragraph is in the description of the patent: “An individual satisfaction estimator can be determined for each match group. A match group is a group of persons who may have different factors influence their satisfaction in a relationship. For instance, suitable match groups may include straight men, straight women, gay men and gay women. A relationship for a particular match group is generated using only data for members of the particular match group.”

Anyway, the actual patent claims themselves are pretty broad, and in the description (see above), eHarmony actually states that their matching method can be applied to gay men and women. But in the actual practice of their business plan, they excluded gay men and women, so gays and lesbians were effectively excluded from being matched via the eHarmony method. Why? Because if another business entity were to use that matching mechanism for gay and lesbians, eHarmony could sue them for patent infringement. Even though eHarmony didn’t allow gay and lesbian matching on their site, they still had the patent and could sue for infringement if they chose to. Sneaky eh?

Anyway, the class action suit had nothing to do with patents – I think it had to do with California’s super-broad public accommodations law (don’t quote me on that). I just wanted to point out their sketchy intellectual property claims.

By: DemiArianna

DemiArianna — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:11:09 +0000

I def think we should choose our battles wisely. He’s def a dumbass, but like whatevs. I mean, whatevs.

Banning the dictionary? That’s like asking for teh stupidz.

By: RachelwasHere

RachelwasHere — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:03:08 +0000

update: the board voted in favor of keeping the book.

The only member who wanted it removed has a (very nice and intelligent) daughter I used to play softball with. So if he tried to shield his own children from the gays he failed enthusiastically at approving their extracurriculars.

By: Kaye

Kaye — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:35:23 +0000

I think the issue would be more about straight people feeling guilty about financially supporting something that discriminates against a group of people. (That’s why my dad stopped using eHarmony. Seriously.)

Maybe the plaintiffs are secretly suing because eHarmony ads are annoying.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:18:13 +0000

wow they banned the dictionary after he looked up the word “oral sex”??? lol imagine if he looked up the word “cunnilingus”- now that would be an article to read.

By: riese

riese — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:27:23 +0000

a long time coming, LN James.

1.17.2007
From: Haviland
To: Riese

“that girl on your blog who writes “tongue tied” is hilarious — i read her blog and commented. seriously, we have to start saying, “omg that was SO strai!”

By: Elise

Elise — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:10:24 +0000

It really is. I remember being a wee sheltered young thing hearing about oral sex for the first time (via the Bill Clinton impeachment trials, natch) and assuming it was meant like making out. I’m very grateful for my friendly household dictionary for clarifying that one for me.

By: jenthejew

jenthejew — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:03:52 +0000

Love for OkCupid.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:40:12 +0000

as someone who has dated a math major, i’m going to vote that i like math confident women too. seriously though, it’s really great/affirming/sexy to see women feel/be accomplished at things we aren’t supposed to enjoy or be good at.

By: LNJames

LNJames — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:39:15 +0000

Wear your Planck constant with pride, I say.

ps. Win – thank you for making “Strai” happen. I dreamed this day would come.

By: Lexi

Lexi — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:35:17 +0000

A Bunny!

By: Morgan

Morgan — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:10:45 +0000

okcupid isn’t gay only, but based on preferences, you’ll only see other gays/bisexuals as matches and i’m pretty sure you can edit your privacy settings so men can’t contact you. it has a lot of really cool features that other sites don’t have, mostly because it wasn’t really created by people who think they know everything about love- they’re just really smart math/computer geeks.

oh, and there are tons of really hot people on it.