Updated

Facebook’s announcement last week that it’s adding a dating component to its platform sparked the question: “Wait, wasn’t Facebook a dating site already?”

Well, not exactly. Yes, it does feature a lot of bikini profile shots and too many men sliding into your direct messages with the same “hello, dear” line late at night. And sure, you could stalk the page of that friend of a friend with whom you have adorable witty banter in the mutual friend’s comment section, but the quirk of Facebook has always been that the world’s most social Web site isn’t actually made for dating.

There’s no easy way to see who is single and no easy way to get in touch short of sending a direct message that could wind up in their spam folder anyway. Sorting by other features like religion or political views is even more complicated.

Facebook now will allow users to make a dating profile, separate from their current one. It’ll be opt-in, so we won’t all suddenly be in the dating pool with our Facebook friends like our great aunt and that kid who picked his nose a lot in third grade.

To read more Karol Markowicz on The New York Post click here.