Type of site Online dating service Created by CPC Connect Ltd | Owner CPC Connect Ltd Website gaydar.co.uk | |
Available in English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese Slogan(s) What you want, when you want it | ||
Gaydar is a worldwide, profile-based dating website for gay and bisexual men, women and couples over the age of 18. Although many of the individual profiles are publicly accessible on the Internet, to gain more functionality and interact with other users, a registration is required and a guest profile must be created.
Contents
It was founded in 1999 in Cape Town, South Africa by London-based South Africans Gary Frisch and his partner Henry Badenhorst, after a friend complained that he was too busy to look for a new boyfriend. The initial idea was based upon a then current concept of a corporate intranet that was in development under the codename "RADAR" (Rapid Access And Deployment Resource) for a prominent South African Advertising Conglomerate by programmers Ian Van Schalkwyk and Stephen Hadden. The site was launched in November 1999.
Gaydar and similar sites are widely regarded as having had a major impact on gay communities in many parts of the world. Gaydar allows users to display and receive more detailed and intimate information in many personal areas than is possible in live venues. Some people speculate that internet dating sites may have played a part in shifting the emphasis from cruising grounds — both outdoors and in sex-on-premises venues — to the Internet. Gaydar is popular in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and to a lesser extent in North America and continental Europe.
In May 2007 Henry Badenhorst was named by the Independent on Sunday Pink List as the fourth most influential gay person in Britain, down from third place the previous year.
In May 2013, it was announced that the site had been sold to Charlie Parsons, the creator of Channel 4's Big Breakfast.
Registration
Registered users are able to browse through online lists of users who are logged into the site at that time, or through lists of all active profiles. Users can send messages to each other and participate in chat rooms, which — except for the Australian and Irish chat rooms — tend to be dominated by UK users. Users can upgrade from 'guest' to 'member' status by paying a subscription that allows access to all the site's functionality. Members may add more photos into an 'album' attached to their profile that are viewable by other members. Guests face other site restrictions, such as a daily limit of 8 messages that they can send and 25 profiles that they can view, and a limit on number of chat rooms accessible at the same time. Guests cannot view archives of sent messages, and cannot use the friends list and do not have access to all search options. About a third of users are members. The site has more recently become free again as it was in the beginning according to a message by administration.
Profiles
Profiles typically include standard information on age, location, physical features, sexual predilections, hobbies, and pastimes. Profiles usually include a free format description about their owner and what they seek in a partner. There is provision for profile owners to upload a number of photographs, typically of themselves — one as the 'main photo', several as 'secondary photos', and several more as 'private photos' that can be sent as attachments to private messages. Photographs may be sexually explicit. Only paying members may view the sexually explicit images. Images that are not sexually explicit may be viewed by both members and guests. All uploaded images are first screened by a staff member at gaydar for legality.
Controversy and criticisms
Critics allege that it facilitates barebacking (anal intercourse without a condom), though this criticism is potentially true of any dating site.
Media attention was drawn in 2003 when the website was used by Labour Party MP Chris Bryant, and in 2006, when married Liberal Democrat leadership candidate Mark Oaten used it to find gay sexual partners.
Searches of the site often result in old profiles that have not been visited by their owners in months and even years. Despite numerous complaints, Gaydar has refused to deactivate unaccessed profiles. Deactivating these unaccessed profiles is practiced by many other sites, including Gayromeo, Planetromeo, and others.
In 2011, Gaydar re-introduced "filtering" in chat rooms and member-to-member private messages, where lines containing competitors' brand names would appear to be sent but would not be delivered.
Death of co-founder
The chairman and co-founder of Gaydar, Gary Frisch died unexpectedly at his home in London on 11 February 2007, aged 38 years. A verdict of misadventure was recorded by Dr Paul Knapman, the coroner at the inquest. A pathologist, Dr Peter Wilkins, said ketamine was found in Mr Frisch's blood and liver.