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Yahoo has agreed to pay $4 million to settle the almost two-year-old class action lawsuit, Anthony v. Yahoo, in which Robert Anthony alleged Yahoo did not fulfill his needs — or rather, its obligations to paid subscribers. He claimed that the Web giant's personal-ad listings were polluted with non-personal listings and defunct profiles. Yahoo, while continues to contest the charges, is accepting the settlement so that it, and Mr. Anthony, can get on with their lives, such as they are.


The notion that Mr. Anthony wasn't able to meet the love of his life, for a fee, because of junk listings is pretty ridiculous, but it's equally pathetic that Yahoo, who is trying to compete with the free Craigslist, would fail to address complaints in favor of leaving up — and charging for — apparently useless profiles. At least Craigslist founder Craig Newmark makes a full-time job out of customer support. No such personal attention, alas, has been forthcoming from Yahoo founder Jerry Yang. If, like Anthony, you believe that Yahoo prevented you from connecting with your ideal mate, you have until December 15 to apply for up to $35 in remuneration. That will buy you a cheap date at the movies, minus the popcorn, if you have since found love on one of many free online personal sites. Or, at the worst, the payout should pay for a little "rub and tug." If you're actually using, and paying for, Yahoo Personals, you may well be just that desperate.