New website oneGoodLove.com is trying to make online dating more than a series of one-night stands.

BY CHRISTOPHER LISOTTA

WHEN HE WAS A SENIOR manager for business development at the dating web site Match.com, Frank Mastronuzzi got frustrated with the company's lack of interest in catering to gays and lesbians. While the company spent millions advertising on AOL, Mastronuzzi couldn't get his bosses to spend anything on gay sites. He approached rival eHarmony about using their matching system to develop a gay-friendly dating site, but the company had no interest in serving the LGBT community, even though they did offer Mastronuzzi a job. He politely declined, and instead began developing his own long term relationship building site, oneGoodLove.com.

FRONTIERS:There are a lotof services out there. Why do we need another gay dating website?

FRANKMASTRONUZZI: Part ofthe reason I launched oneGoodLove.com, is there’s really no go-to website for people who are ready to settle down. There are a lot of gay dating sites and casual hook up sites, if you will. We did market research at Match.com, and by default I think the gay and lesbian community, and a lot of other minorities, always stopped by because of the size of Match and Yahoo!, that those were the sites to go find a serious relationship. I know that Match.com did nothing to cater to the gay community. They basically said whoever wants to post a profile, great, but they did nothing if you told them you were a male looking for a male.

What are you doing that's unique?

The unique piece is the personality profile test. The personality matching is based on research driven by gay and lesbian couples. We kind of use states as an example. Say you're a Texas personality — the natural links from the research say that Oklahoma and Louisiana personalities are all matches for your personality type. That's the unique piec ethat oneGoodLove offers. The personality profile was created and calibrated for the gay and lesbian community.

Are gay men more conscious about looks, and does sex come up more in terms of dating?

The compatibility of personality types for gay men are different. An example would be two very outgoing, gregarious gay men may not be a good match in along term relationship perspective. All the research shows sex compatibility does not guarantee long-term relationship compatibility. That is proven every week-end in West Hollywood. The focus of our site is hey, it's not about instant gratification, it is about truly finding someone who you click with on a personality level. The community structure of the site is to force the users to get to know each other. There is no instant messaging. It is “let's get to know each other over a series of questions back and forth and a series of dialogues.”

When people contact you what are they looking for interms of a relationship?

The general population thinks of the gay man as being very promiscuous and not wanting tonest and settle down. What they are looking for is someone that they are compatible with on all levels. Looks are a top priority, but we are trying to reprioritize that for gay men, therefore you don't search profiles on our site, you don't see photos right away. People get to opt in when they disclose their photo to you. I think professional level status is a lot bigger issue for gay men than it is for heterosexual females when they are looking for mates. If I'm at x level I want someone at x level and above.

Is it getting harder or easier for people to meet one another?

I think it's harder because there is more demand on people's time. A lot of gay men are focused on their professional careers, and they are also focused on their appearance. They are very social, outgoing, so there are a lot of time commitments. I'm not saying it's not the same on the heterosexual side, but I think what I see from our users is that we are a good solution. You're not going to get as many matches on oneGoodLove, but we're focused on quality not quantity.

Have you met someone online before? Are you dating now?

I'm currently single. I have met people online before, and forged relationships, but nothing to a success rate which would let me settle down. That's why my motivation has been high in getting oneGoodlove to fruition. I can't tell you how many people I meet who pull me aside at a party and say, “Does this work, because Ireally want to find someone.” And I don't think that's something they admit to themselves.