Zogo.com answers call for real-time dating site

By Heather V. Eng

Thursday, February 2, 2006

Link to Original Article

Singles on the prowl can hook up immediately - and literally - thanks to a new dating service

Zogo (www.zogo.com), set to launch in Boston later this month, works like traditional Internet dating Web sites such as Match.com: Members create profiles and search for love mates based on such criteria as gender, location and ethnicity. But unlike those dating services, Zogo users also can access the personals on their mobile phones, invite a member to chat by sending a text message and have a real-time conversation as soon as the member accepts the invitation.

"Internet dating is a great thing, but there are two downsides," said Zogo CEO Jonathan Ressler. "one is it’s slow. You find somebody you like and send e-mails back and forth for weeks. You never actually go on a date until you have a phone call. The second downside is that it’s very easy, online, to hide behind your profile. Once you speak to someone, you can tell if they’re lying. Zogo lets you be you and tell your story in a very immediate, open way."

But safety and anonymity aren’t sacrificed. When members agree to talk, the Zogo phone number comes up on their cellphones, keeping their numbers secret. Members decide whether they want to exchange personal numbers after speaking to each other. And if one member no longer wants to hear from a user, Zogo’s blocking feature hides his or her profile from the other’s database.

Zogo also boasts a "prowling" feature for singles out on the town. By clicking on the "start prowling" button, Zogo users let others know what neighborhood they’re in and that they’re seeking to meet up with other like-minded singles - however you define that.

"It could mean you’re looking for a meaningful one-night relationship, and some people say it could give a whole new meaning to ‘drunken dial,’" said Ressler. "But more people use it to find out what’s happening that night, where the people are."