Time Lists eHarmony Among 'Five Worst Websites', Laments It Is Anti-Gay

July 20th, 2007 11:10 AM

There are millions of Web sites floating around the Internet on any given day, so finding five ones to label as the "worst" in the world is risible on its face. And if you did, wouldn't you think that NAMBLA, the Westboro Baptist Church, the KKK, pedophile sites and the like would constitute the absolute worst? I mean, MySpace is annoying, but it's not as bad as jihadist Web sites by any stretch.

But aside from the inanity of the undertaking, what caught my eye with Time magazine's "Five Worst Websites" list was eHarmony.com's inclusion.

"Our main beef with this online dating site is its power to cause utter despair," lament the writers at Time.

Really? I mean, hey, I find the commercials annoying as heck too, but is it really worse than say AdultFriendFinder.com, which is designed to set consenting adults up with casual, often times kinky sexual dalliances? What's more desperate than the false delusions and cheap affection of fleeting one-night stands?

At least eHarmony, even if misguided or overly optimistic in its "scientific" approach is geared towards finding lovelorn people a lifelong love

But of course, that's not Time's real beef with eHarmony. For that you have to read through to the last line. "The site also discriminates against gays," Time complains.

That charge is utterly ridiculous. Dating sites are free to be as restricted or as open as they desire. The competitive nature of the Internet dating marketplace serves almost every imaginable dating/relationship preference. Heck, there's even a site for people looking to date and marry polygamists (SoulfulHarmony).

I'm not holding my breath for Time to complain about specialty dating sites that "discriminate" against heterosexuals (any number of gay dating sites), goyim (JDate.com), or religious folks in general (AtheistPassions).