> Assuming that online dating works magically well for gay/lesbian folks but doesn't for straight people seems like a really large leap to make and also seems really untrue from what I've heard

Of course it isn't perfect for all of them, but it's a much less dysfunctional market than the straight one. Which means there's less of a business model in catering to gays and lesbians there (doubly true given that they're rare.)

And yes, in theory, straight people can date bi people, but again, by not perfectly serving that bi market you cut off a tiny fraction of your clientele. Screw up the straight market and your site is doomed. Which should he focus on?

> What I did say was that the way the site felt it felt like it was designed with a pretty narrow frame of how dating worked

Yes, that's called "targeting a particular market."

> Assuming that online dating works magically well for gay/lesbian folks but doesn't for straight people seems like a really large leap to make

Not if you live in an area with skewed gender ratios. The thing that makes gay dating in such an environment "easy" compared to straight, is that supply (gay men) and demand (people looking for gay men) is essentially the same (plus or minus a handful of bisexuals).

Whereas straight dating is fractured into two supplies and two demands, and

straight women = demand for straight men

straight men = demand for straight women

What you really want is for the diagonals (supply and matched demand) to be equal, but they aren't in a lot of places.

> Also, I have a fair number of straight friends, a lot of them appreciate OKC a lot and use it regularly with good results.

+1 for OkCupid working just fine for straight people.

I have had great success (just hit 1 year with someone I met on OkCupid, truly a great girl).

I know two marriages which were a result of OkCupid, one couple got married in France (not that it matters, they're just really cool). Most of the couples that met online that I know are quite good matches (IMHO quality > quantity anyway).

> The people I hear complaining about it most often are usually people who are just angry about the fact that they can't get dates... online or offline.

This is exactly it, in my opinion. OkCupid, and other dating sites, will help you meet more people. They will not magically improve your dating life. That's up to you, and it starts with improving yourself and your social skills outside of the dating world.

You need to be an attractive person before you expect someone to want to be with you, and you have complete control over that; it has nothing to do with your looks and predestined characteristics, and everything to do with your attitude and personality. That may sound hokey, but it's entirely true.

I think the site is a cool and fun way to meet people in a different way. I don't think it's ground-breaking or magically going to fix any dating problems, straight or gay. You might meet a few more people, but you'll still have to be actually interesting and good at dating if you want to go anywhere from there.

In other words, it's like someone complaining about not being able to get anywhere in a car because they don't have a map, and making a car with five wheels and a musical horn instead. If you still don't have a map, it ain't gonna help you.