Cupid-friendly site helps aspiring matchmakers pair up their friends

The variations on the online matchmaking theme have grown too numerous to count, but recently we came across one that seems to stand out from the crowd. It’s Inlovia, a free Dutch site that enables users to play Cupid and pair up their friends. Aspiring matchmakers begin by filling in the names and email addresses of the potential pair they have in mind, along with up to 160 characters describing why the two should meet. Inlovia then sends an email to both of those recipients telling them that their friend wants to introduce them to someone special. Each member of the potential pair has 20 days to accept or refuse the match attempt. If they both accept, they receive each other’s email address for further contact. The user responsible for the matchmaking can even follow a personal link to see if both people accepted. One in three singles expects to find a life partner through friends or acquaintances rather than impersonal dating sites, Inlovia says. Whether through Facebook or a site like this, it could well be that the trust shared among friends will be an increasingly key ingredient in the future of online dating. (Related: Matchmaking site focuses on musical taste — Dating site uses literary tastes for matchmaking — Coaching service helps singles with online dating — Mobile dating app lets singles broadcast their availability — Dating site lets women call the shots.) Spotted by: Karin Thomas