Wikipedia

User:DoctorWho42/BernieSingles.com

< User:DoctorWho42
Bernie Singles
Type of site
Online dating service
Available inEnglish
Created byColten Caudle
David Boni
URLberniesingles.com
CommercialNo
RegistrationRequired for membership
Users+9,000
Launched17 February 2016; 8 years ago (2016-02-17)

Bernie Singles is an online dating service where members can connect based on a mutual interest in American politician and junior United States senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. As of February 22, 2016, it had 9,000 registered users.[1]

History

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The Facebook group Bernie Sanders' Dank Meme Stash inspired a spin-off dating group Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles. Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles was founded by Beth Hannah, who works for the Human Resource Development Council in Havre, Montana.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Members post either Internet memes or personal advertisements. On February 22, 2016, the group had over 9,900 members and a team of 20 administrators.[10]

Inspiration

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Prior to Bernie Singles, Arizona State University political science sophomore student and co-founder Colten Caudle was inspired to create a Bernie Sanders-themed website based on the dating Facebook group Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles.[7] Caudle also credits the group for finding his current girlfriend, Sadie Marie Jensen, a dog trainer from Portland, Oregon.[11][8] In an interview with The Huffington Post's Blair Guild, Caudle said "I originally joked about making the site, but after seeing interest, I decided to take on the project."[3]

Development

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Caudle said it took two days to produce and about five days of beta testing before its launch. Previously, Caudle designed the website ProjectProgressive.org to promote progressive political candidates in elections and the United States. Meanwhile, co-founder David Boni owns a web development company called BoldMeta.[9]

Launch

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The website was founded by Colten Caudle and David Boni in February 17, 2016.[5] It received 1,000 registered users within the first hour.[12][4][9] Initial attention crashed the website and an upgrade was required.[13][2][4][14][5][1][7] An online fundraiser via GoFundMe was posted to help with server costs.[2][4][5] The target goal was $1,000 with the stipulation that excess funds would be donated to the Sanders campaign.[1]

Operation

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Membership is free.[4] Registration requires birth date, biography, U.S. state, gender, sexual orientation, and username; as well as uploading a photograph to complete your profile. The website allows users to search for other users based on geographic region, add friends, or join micro-communities as "Christians for Bernie" or "Musicians for Bernie."[10][8] Public chat rooms are also featured.[10]

Users can search for matches by age, gender, orientation, location, and political beliefs.[5] So far, the userbase is predominantly "college age" or in the 18 – 35 age range.[8] The website has a voluntary team of web developers and moderators to ban Internet trolls like users with names like "Augusto Pinochet" or "Donald Trump".[10][7][15][9]

Reception

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Bustle's Lea Rose Emery called Bernie Singles "incredibly popular."[2] Tech Insider's Leanna Garfield registered an account and over all found the website "might not be the most serious of dating sites."[10] Critical of its Bernie Bro culture, New Statesman's Eleanor Margolis reviewed it as "an exercise in nausea-induced celibacy."[16] KQED's Emma Silvers has called the website "seems to be shaping up as half-chatroom, half-safe space for people to 'talk Bernie' at each other."[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Nelson, Rebecca (February 11, 2016). "Looking for Love on a Bernie Sanders Dating Site". GQ. Condé Nast. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Emery, Lea Rose (February 18, 2016). "There's A Dating Site For Single Bernie Sanders Supporters". Bustle. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Guild, Blair (February 19, 2016). "They Found Love In A Sanders Place". The Huffington Post. AOL. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e Gum, Jordyn (February 22, 2016). "There's a Dating Site for Single Bernie Sanders Supporters". Her Campus. Her Campus Media, LLC. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e Kinery, Emma (February 18, 2016). "Berning love: New dating site launches for Sanders supporters". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  6. ^ Nerdstrom (February 24, 2016). "Bernie Sanders is Going to Win (Because of the Internet)". Daily Kos. Kos Media, LLC. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d Pangburn, DJ (February 25, 2016). "Meet the Users of 'Bernie Singles,' the Dating Site for Bernie Sanders Supporters". Good Magazine. Good Worldwide. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d e Silvers, Emma (February 23, 2016). "Only Wanna Date Bernie Sanders Supporters? There's a Site For That". KQED Pop. KQED. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d Trinidad, Kelsi (February 19, 2016). "Do You Yearn for the Bern? There's a Dating Site for That". The New York Observer. New York Observer, LLC. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e Garfield, Leanna (February 22, 2016). "I tried 'Bernie Singles,' the new dating site for Bernie Sanders supporters". Tech Insider. Business Insider. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  11. ^ Blackhurst, Kathryn (February 25, 2016). "New Dating Website Targets Singles Who Want to 'Feel the Bern'". TheBlaze. Mercury Radio Arts. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  12. ^ Devaney, Tim (February 17, 2016). "Dating site launches for Bernie Sanders lovers". The Hill. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  13. ^ Awad, Ann Marie (February 26, 2016). "Finding love and feeling the Bern on Bernie Sanders dating website". United Press International. News World Communications. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  14. ^ Herndon, Jeff (February 25, 2016). "Bernie Sanders dating website is blowing up the Internet". Fox 32 Chicago. WFLD. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  15. ^ Smith, Keele (February 23, 2016). "Bernie Singles: Online dating site connects single Sanders fans". WPTZ Local News. WPTZ. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  16. ^ Margolis, Eleanor (March 1, 2016). "Creepy, well-meaning, or sexist? Looking for love on Bernie Singles, the Bernie Sanders dating site". New Statesman. Progressive Media International. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
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Category:2016 establishments in the United States Category:American websites Category:Internet properties established in 2016 Category:Online dating services Category:Social networking services Category:Virtual communities Category:Websites

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