The dedicated section of Drupal is http://groups.drupal.org/dating. However, the details of exactly how a dating site is built (what modules are implemeting what functionalities) are not given. People seem to avoid that and and couldn't figure out why.
I hope in the future people will be more willing and feel more comfortable to share their details.
Until then, a showcase maybe would be appreciated in the dedicated section of drupal site (i.e. here) as I have seen no similar showcase so far (a dating website built in Drupal) in any section of drupal.org (check this statement by searching after "dating"). So, I thought maybe this is a good opportunity to bring the basic functionalities of a dating site in the front of Drupal community and see how they can be implemented to the more extensive details.
This is the reasoning behind my wish to post here the details of building my dating site (as a showcase).
Although the site is not yet finished, I hope - in the spirit of the open source that has been always the basis and represents the premises which the drupal website itself has been built upon - to be allowed to display this unfinished showcase and allow for interested contributors / members to bring valuable contributions. However, this is not a project of defining a module, a theme or a code snippet. As the entire dating site that has been built so far is based upon drupal modules (very few code snippets) I see this showcase as a display of details (modules, themes, etc) that I use to implement the functionalities required.
The aim is to finalise a complete showcase that every interested person that arrives here can use it to implement its own dating website.
As I am first time here, I do not know the rules to post a showcase, but I do my best to learn.
I thought that, as a common sense, in order to avoid being accused as promoting my site, I have decided to not display the web address, unless somebody from Drupal webmasters group let me know that I am allowed to do it.
Since then, I think maybe it is usefull to list the modules I have installed so far in my dating site and then trying to provide details of basic functionalities of a typical dating website.
So, let's start with
1. Basic functionalities of my dating website / showcase
1.1. Premium member may access the emails of other members (upon TOS - Terms Of Service) .
1.2. Chat (not available for trial members)
1.3. Can see the member status (premium, new, activity, last logon) (not available for trial members)
1.4. Premium member may see the private photos of other members (and possible their private videos)
1.5. Can block other members to initiate chats or to receive emails from them (can block such contact initiatives from all members that are based in a country or another, as selected by user - or many countries)
1.6. Advanced search (smoker / non-smoker, etc) - available to premium members only
1.7. Messages with / without virtual gifts (this is optional - maybe in version 2.0)
1.8. Sending a smile to a member (only by clicking a link - not by sending a message with a smile attached)
1.9. History of all connections (to whom there were sent a message, a chat initiative, a smile, etc)
1.10 Who's on line (disabled upon administrator's decision - for starting sites maybe that do not have alot of customers at the beginning of operations, but needed later on when the site has grown enough)
1.11 Bookmarking a favorite member (I admire him/her) or receiveing a bookmark from admirers (they like/admire me)
2. List of modules I use (those installed so far)
Comments
Functionality 1.2 (chat)
This has been implemented using the modules:
Chat Room Version: 6.x-2.12
Chat Room Appbar integration Version: 6.x-2.12
Pros
Every user (allowed to those modules) can open a chat and a chat room.
There is also the possibility to open a pop up window, but not necessarily (the conversation can be carried out in the same browser window)
The chat can be configured by user to be private.
More than two persons can participate (3, 4, etc) - however, for a dating site 2 persons are generally enough (although in case a threesome the functionality serves the purpose :) ).
The user who initiates the chat can archive the chat (after that, the chat is no longer available to participants)
Cons
The chat can be archived by any participant (including the person(s) who receive(s) the chat request)
Only the hours:minutes are displayed (not the date)
There is no default time until the chat can be automatically archived (it could last for ever if no user archives it)
Conclusion
One can get the job done with those two modules. However, if expectations are high then some workarounds are maybe required (automatically archiving chats after a predefined period of time, i.e. let's after 1 or 2 days, showing the date also in the conversation list - not only the hour:minute, etc).
Functionality 1.7 (messaging between members)
This functionality has been implemented using the following modules:
Block user messages version 6.x-1.2
Private messages version 6.x-1.2
Privatemsg Email Notification version 6.x-1.2
Privatemsg filter version 6.x-1.2
Pros
Typical functionalities for an internal messaging systems (within the website) are in place.
Alert for a new message is available
Blocking a user is possible.
Alert by email to the user is available.
Cons
Not many. Maybe the way the fileds of a message are displayed is a little bit confusing (not obvious who is the sender)
Conclusion
Pretty good internal messaging system functionalities were implemented with the above-mentioned modules.
Uhm what's the website? How
Uhm what's the website? How are we supposed to know how a dating site was built with drupal if you dont show it!
I think this guy wants to
I think this guy wants to build a dating site, and is still analyzing how to do it...
What about a Video Chat and
What about a Video Chat and how to recommend/search dates/persons to another person based on the information from their profiles?
http://twitter.com/tosho
What about Drutalk module
What about Drutalk module (drupal.org/project/drutalk)?