Done with online dating

Have fee-based Internet dating services peaked?

That's the central question in this Washington Post piece, which suggests dating websites are past their prime. An excerpt:

The numbers suggest that while singles in search of a match may post a profile, they're not finding who they're looking for.

EHarmony and Match.com own 30 percent of the audience for all dating sites, and, taken together, their recent histories pose a troubling question for both their parent companies and those who prefer "scientific matching" techniques to real-life church socials: Has paid Internet dating peaked?

I've written articles about how the online dating world has lost much of its stigma.

But I've also covered the rise of more obscure Internet dating options, which makes me wonder if paid Internet matchmaking has yielded intrigue, but not real results.

The Washington Post piece also mentions Facebook as a possible competitor for paid Internet dating sites. It's set up differently, but I think it still has matchmaking potential.

Weigh in: Are you totally over fee-based dating websites?