What popular online dating sites looked like when they first launched

In the midst of the Ashley Madison hack and subsequent data dump, we wanted to find out how long Ashley Madison had been connecting would-be philanderers. Turns out the site was launched in 2001 and featured a woman whispering (from a great distance) into a man’s ear, who is cocking his eyebrows just so:

“When monogamy becomes monotony.”

Today the site features the company’s (in)famous slogan, “Life’s short. Have an affair.” It also boasts that the company has received a “Trusted Security Award.”

There is no evidence, per Vocativ, that this is an actual award.

What did other dating sites look like in their infancy? We hit the Wayback Machine to look back at how web design, ideas of user experience, and the glorious use of stock photos have changed as the online dating has become more popular.

All photos via The Internet Archive unless otherwise indicated. Click on the photo and slide to the left and right to see how the webpages have changed over time.

eHarmony (mid-2000s vs. today)

OurTime (2011 vs. today)

Christian Mingle (2004 vs. today)

JDate, 2000

Adult Friend Finder (2000 vs. today)

Craigslist (2001 vs. today)

Zoosk (2008 vs. today)

Farmers Only (2012 vs. today)

Match (2000 vs. today)

OK Cupid (2004 vs. today)

Tinder (pre-launch of app in 2012 vs. today)

Did we miss your favorite dating website? Let us know in the comments.

David Matthews operates the Wayback Machine on Fusion.net—hop on. Got a tip? Email him: [email protected]