On Bits, the New York Times tech blog, Brad Stone writes about a new wave of online speed-dating sites built around video webcam chat:

After each Web meeting, WooMe asks users to select either “I’m Wooed” or “No thanks” for the person they just met. They can also leave one-word “tags” describing the person — a feature that could lead to some pretty cruel collective judgments. If couples forge a love connection, they pay $1 each to get each other’s real contact information. The service will open to the public next month.

Similarly, San Mateo-based Speeddate.com is a project that emerged from a Stanford University business class. The site asks members to reveal a few details about themselves upon signing up, and then matches them up in Webcam or text chats for what must seem like an eternal three minutes. Connecting through the site is free, though the company says it will consider a subscription fee in the future.

Does This Webcam Make Me Look Fat? [Bits.Blogs.NYTimes.com]