Not exactly what I had in mind...

So I got an e-mail from Inkednation today promoting some new site called TattooLovers.com - yes, a modder e-dating service. In light of my last post, I was pretty excited to check it out...and oh what I found when I did. The first suck-tastic thing about it is that it's akin to one of those "Want kewl ringtones for your cell? Just 99 cents a month gets you unlimited tones! Please note that "unlimited tones" is not meant to imply that you will receive an unlimited number of new ringtones from our service per month but rather that you will enjoy hearing the first month's ringtone for an unlimited period of time. Please also note that you will be charged an additional $27.99 per month simply for providing us with your credit card number, you idiot." Yea, basically they give you a "Free 3-day Trial," but in order to get it you have to give them a credit card number, and agree to pay...get this...$29.95 every THREE DAYS unless you cancel. Or you can just go for the bargain package and get one 3-Day membership for ONLY $2.95 - but you'll be charged $24.95 every three days after that unless you cancel...Umm, I'm gonna go ahead and predict that the site owners aren't exactly as invested in hooking up modded folk as they are in robbing them. Ok, suck factor #2 >> On the very same page where one would potentially sign up for membership, there's a photo of some dude who's apparently wearing makeup on both his face AND arms, in the form of two smudgy, drawn-on tats, and a cute blonde with stellar eye makeup but an OBVIOUSLY fake tattoo. Yes, that's right...they couldn't even get models with real tattoos. Makes you wonder...who the fuck is running this thing? Ugh, they're not even nice fake tats...they're both that terrible breed of American tribal that serves to dissolve my interest in an otherwise decent catch.
Also, I know they can't exactly regulate who joins this thing...but searching for photos of "singles in my area" yielded a disappointing crew made up mostly of plainskins or individuals with a single tattoo. For me, "tattooed" doesn't necessarily equate with "modified." Being modified is a lifestyle, a state of mind, or at least in my eyes it is. I want someone who can talk to me about their tats and the meaning behind them without using the words "pretty" or "badass." I want someone who feels that modding has changed their life. I want someone who has fun with life and their body, customizing it, adorning it, appreciating it's uniqueness. Sorry, end personal ad... But my point is that you can't expect to just throw together a site like this and have it be successful. BME's IAM seems to have gotten it right...members have to submit photos of their mods to gain membership, and must renew that membership every three months. No leeches allowed. They have IAM:CRUSH2, but I'd love to see an independently run site with the same basic format specifically aimed at bringing together modded singles/swingers. Ya know, true subculture, not this cookie-cutter dating service with the word "tattoo" in the title bullshit.
Personally, an e-dating service, even a modder e-dating service, would be the last resort in my search for a partner. But if it were done well, and didn't involve fine print and crazy hidden charges...I just might check it out. Who knows, it just might help me find my knight in bulging arm implants. Sooo, someone wanna get on that? Thanks :o)