Oxford dating site to help singles find love
By Jonathan Tomlin
By Matt Stokes
Singletons of Oxford, help is at hand: a dating site aimed exclusively at Oxford University students has just re-launched.
Oxfordromance.org, which was founded over a decade ago, re-launched on 27th May and describes itself as “a free chat and romance site set up specifically for students of Oxford University”.
The site is open only to students and academics.
The website claims to be “the most popular student web site in Oxford by some margin, getting around 15,000 page-views per day”, and claims to have been instrumental in at least 11 marriages.
Andrew Miles, a fourth-year student at Exeter, said that the website “used to be really popular. Everyone used to use it a couple of years ago.”
But now it only has 69 active members who have logged on in the past 16 weeks, 57 of whom are male.
The Oxford-centred nature of the site becomes clear when users create a profile and are asked to choose from headlines including “Amo, Amas, Amat: When in Rome, do as the Romans…”, “Dinner for two and wine? The economics are straightforward”, “The joy of 1/cos(x)” and “Messing about in boats is delightful”.
The website was born out of a similar project in Cambridge, and in keeping with the Oxbridge theme the site offers the opportunity for members to arrange dates for May and Commemoration Balls.
The LoveWeb, a “centralised flirt register of who fancies whom”, allows people to hook up without even having to give their name.
The site is also full of tips for those seeking partners, advising them: “If you have a sense of humour 
, demonstrate it! […] Also, use Smileys if you like to convey expression.” It warns students: “If what you say is tongue-in-cheek or ironic, it is usually a good idea to telegraph this fact with a smiley. Otherwise, people may read it literally.”
But Oxford lads may be disappointed to find out the site is not a free-for-all sex site. The moderators make it clear that “it is not acceptable to make random offers of sex, not even polite ones, unless the recipient’s profile makes it clear that they would appreciate such a message”.
In words that could easily spark off another Facebook flame war, the FAQs also advise users: “Be careful when flirting. Sweeping generalisations notwithstanding, it’s frequently the case that a woman writes something flirtatious (not expecting to be taken seriously); the man reads it literally (and takes it at face value). When he responds to what she said, she is upset, because he couldn’t telepathically infer what she meant!”
For those students who are lucky in their pursuits, however, there is also a tool if they receive “more messages than [they] can cope with”. And, warning that “OxfordRomance.org.uk does have a tendency to become somewhat addictive”, there is a “Parking Meter” tool to limit sessions to 30 minutes.
Finalists will also be glad to know that there is a “Degree Rescue” mode which “allows you to block youself [sic] from logging in again until a certain date of your choice, eg. the day after your finals”.
Seen Too Much
31/05/2012 at 23:16
Well, it was a sexual free-for-all when I was on it as an undergraduate, and the various attempts to turn it into something less reminiscent of a dogging meet-up board were what killed the bloody thing. Awful business, obviously, and any attempt to introduce loveliness is to be applauded, but the page where they celebrate engagements and marriages is a bit laughable; the true triumph of the thing is that I’m fairly sure that it kept many generations of a tribe of mutant crabs alive for a good seven years, long enough to feed on me during a BA and a DPhil.
The guy who set it up in Cambridge is a terrifying stalker, mind you, and he has access to your innermost secrets. Once set up a tribute website to some girl purely because he fell in love with her photo when he was ‘approving submissions’. She moved to China. Oxford Romance: crabs and stalking. Sounds about right.
Cupid
01/06/2012 at 01:01
To date, we know of 13 weddings and a baby! Perhaps we might share some success stories (source: http://oxfordromance.org.uk/testimon )
“Sabrina_Fair would like the world to know she has fallen for The Real JK, having met him on OxRo over 4 months ago. They are very happy together and she would like to thank the Oxford Cupid for uniting them and to wish all those looking for love as much romance, passion and blissful companionship as she has now found. Thank you OxRo!!!” [Two years later, they were married!]
“Well I’ve been one of your most active members from my very start. I’ve been offered everything from casual sex to a proper relationship. And I’ve found the latter – with a couple of people. And yes, I’m leaving because I’m still with someone. 3 years have elapsed since I signed on for the first time. For about 2 years of that, I’ve been seeing people. The current person, for over a year and counting. I once got offered sex with oysters or strawberries in my college annex. I’m now thinking I might be settled for good. What can I say? I guess maybe a humble bit of thanks. And I know this place seems a bit geeky – but screw it. Meeting the right person can happen anywhere, and the more you put yourself out there, the more likely it is to happen. Believe me.”
HC writes: “E of A and and I have been together 6 months now, though he’s currently in America and will be for another 5 months. Also – for people wondering whether to put their photos up or not, do it! We wouldn’t have met when we did if it hadn’t been for our having photos up. We’d only ever chatted on here once before, for all of 10 minutes. We actually met the very next day, but it was accidental – simply recognised him in a pub, we got talking and it all went from there. He’s so gorgeous I’d have probably talked to him anyway, but recognising him from here gave an instant opener! Although possibly asking someone if they’re from oxfordromance isn’t the coolest chat up line…. *cough*”
Seen Too Much
04/06/2012 at 12:58
… and an new species of pubic louse.
coco x
05/06/2012 at 10:47
“Degree Rescue” mode! LMAO! Only at Oxford…
Phoenix
05/06/2012 at 14:33
@Seen Too Much: If you had problems with STDs, you must have been doing something wrong. Maybe heeding your mother’s advice might have been better than blaming OxRom for your short-sightedness.
Seen Too Much
10/06/2012 at 05:51
Problems? On the contrary, making oneself a home for The Pink Palace’s roaming supercrabs was seen as a mark of success back in the day. I take exception to the suggestion that I blame Oxford Romance for my poor eyesight; there’re other websites that bare far greater responsibility, both for that, my stutter, and my hairy palms.