I see a benefit to a free dating script in exploring how the software works... If you are a startup running out of a basement with experience with PHP, MySQL and other web database programming, then this road is best for exploration purposes. Either you would need to develop your own software or use a 3rd party to really run a business like this correctly.
The business changes so rapidly that it is a full time job just to develop up-to-date software.
A shocker for me to learn was that PHP has limitations. When you get a site with immense traffic, like an
Amazon.com or a
Match.com PHP may actually bog down, depending on the programming used.
Most large operations use ASP. It seems that was designed for large traffic.
But for startups to mid size operations, PHP should be just fine. And there's nothing wrong with learning how the system works from its inner wirings. You will have a much better recognition of the work involved and can discuss better business terms with your 3rd party supplier.
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
Internet Dating Conference