Sorry folks, but after you leave college finding the perfect mate is just going to get harder. Given the easy, instant and relatively safe access that the Internet provides, it’s no surprise that online dating services are attracting millions of people looking for love or some fun flirting. If you’ve never tried it, here’s what you need to know. First of all, pick a site that suits you. There are literally hundreds of dating sites out there that cater to all types of interests, religions and sexual persuasions. Here are a few to get you started.
Match.com is the largest online dating service and caters to everyone due to its sheer size. It has 8 million registrants across 30 different sites around the world in 18 different languages. You can do free searches and take advantage of various tools short of being able to contact anyone. Match.com enables you to refine your search with free personality and physical attraction tests. “Venus” also conducts auto searches with results emailed daily or weekly. Match.com does a good job of policing their site – each profile is checked for dirty pictures or foul language before it is posted.
Yahoo Personals has a large membership with profiles that are regularly updated. They offer free searches and an Advanced Search feature enabling you to select matches based on up to 8 different criteria including body type, eye color, income level and interests. You can also conduct keyword searches and results may be emailed weekly, daily or otherwise.
Jdate.com is the largest Jewish singles network with 500,000 registered members, 15,000 new members joining each month and it’s free to create a personal profile, post photos and search for members.
Singlerepublican.com is a dating site for “conservative American singles” so if you’re searching for someone who leans more to the right, this is the place for you.
Eharmony.com differentiates itself by offering a service that tries to match singles that are soul mates and “compatible not just on the surface.” If you have the patience to fill in a lengthier questionnaire, this might be for you.
Protect Your Safety While Having Fun
While online dating services offer a fun and secure environment to meet other singles, it’s important to use sound judgment and be responsible. In both the virtual and real worlds, common sense is your best safety tool.
Start slow
Watch out for someone who seems too good to be true. Begin by communicating solely via Instant Messenger or email, then look for odd behavior or inconsistencies. Trust your instincts. If anything makes you uncomfortable, walk away for your own safety and protection.
Guard your anonymity
Never include your last name, email address, home address, phone number, place of work or any other identifying information in your profile or initial messages.
Exercise caution and common sense
Careful, thoughtful decisions generally yield better dating results. Take all the time you need to test for a trustworthy person and if you suspect someone is lying, he or she probably is, so act accordingly.
Request a photo
If all you hear are excuses about why you can’t see a photo, consider that he or she has something to hide. And try and make sure the photo is a recent one, as you’d be surprised at how many people send pictures that are 10 or more years old!
Meet in a safe place
When you choose to meet offline, always tell a friend where you are going and when you will return. Leave your date’s name and telephone number with your friend. Never arrange for your date to pick you up at home. Provide your own transportation, meet in a public place at a time with many people around, and when the date is over, leave on your own as well.
October 1st, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Online dating sites are a grat place to meet people. But for alot of guys and girls its the actual act of dating that is so difficult. I have always encouraged people to get out there and meet new people and become better at socializing so that they can be better at dating.
Check out my article on flirting for a good guide to how to flirt:
http://guideondating.com/flirting/how-to-flirt-girls-%e2%80%93-how-to-flirt-with-girls-actually-for-real-%e2%80%93-tried-and-true-principles-from-a-flirting-deviant/
And stick around for other great articles like how to talk to strangers.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
If you are not happy with giving up on your ex and are looking for advice you have got to check out this book called the magic of making up. It has everything you need on how to get back with your ex.
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
On line dating is a safer alternative to meet people, than a night out on the town. I have used dating sites for 2 years now and come across, and made some fantastic friends. All from the comfort of my own home. I use http://www.mydates.com.au its 100% free to join and use and I have never being asked to provide credit card details. So my advice would be. If you intend to join an online dating site than use one that’s free. This way you can gain experience and test the waters without having to pay a cent.
April 8th, 2009 at 11:53 am
I agree with katie, online dating is more safer than going a date nowadays. There are people who likes to take advantage of a certain situation. So, for me as a caribbean lady i prefer to browse dating sites. I found a very nice dating site which is the caribbeandarlings.com – offers the best features that are wrapped up in a very friendly user setting.
April 10th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Dont forget the free online dating site, plenty of fish dot com! They are now officially the largest online dating site in the US.
Evan
April 16th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Nice tips there.It really is important to still keep your personal details private.Many sad stories have happened because of over trusting people with your personal info.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Since online dating popularity is increasing it’s already an S.O.P for you who are joining that you need to trust only those who can be trusted. Always have safety precautions. One of the safest place you can be is in filipinas.
April 20th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Dating sites are not always the answer but you can definitely find love there. Just be safe. If you are not over your ex yet you may want to try and get them back first.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Excellent list of sites and the advice you’ve given about online dating is very helpful – especially for those just starting out. Dating online is hard enough with so many sites out there – so it makes sense to aim for a more specialized site – like one for dating professionals for example.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:58 am
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May 2nd, 2009 at 4:02 am
Live Date Match Features
There are tons of dating sites on the Internet these days so it can be frustrating to find one that is actually worth signing up with. Many of these sites will charge you a monthly fee and you won’t find out until you have already spent hours perfecting your profile and uploading a picture. At LiveDateMatch.com, you don’t have to pay any upfront or hidden fees and you also get access to all kinds of cool features such as: Dating advice articles, a dating forum, and a dating chat area.
The inclusion of dating advice articles is a very nice touch because many people are looking for information about what works and what doesn’t work while on a date. It’s easy to sabotage yourself without even realizing it and with the proper dating advice, this shouldn’t happen to you. By reading over the different advice articles, you’ll learn some great tips to make a good impression on your dates, what you should and shouldn’t talk about and much more.
The LiveDateMatch.com dating forum is a very nice touch to this dating site. In the forum, you can share experiences with others, get helpful advice, and get important answers to important questions. It’s also a lot of fun to talk with people like yourself who are looking for someone special. The forum has many different categories like advice, experiences, marriage, relationships, and even a section to discuss your favorite type of entertainment.
Dating chat is a lot of fun as you have the ability to chat with people all around the world. You can also make a lot of new friends, find people that share your interests, and even plant the seed of a relationship if you meet someone you really click with. Chatting can become an addiction if you aren’t careful It’s easy to find someone you can really open up to and if you’re lucky, this could lead to great relationship eventually.
Another great feature about LiveDateMatch.com is the ability to find people in your area no matter where you live. There is a section for the US, UK, Russia, and many other countries. There is also an area where you can view pictures of other users and rate them on a scale of 1-10. This is a lot of fun and helps you get a good idea of what kind of people are using this site.
May 19th, 2009 at 1:16 am
a perfect mate is really hard to find but as soon as you open up your heart to all the possibilities, you will have it… that is why we have to have fate for the right one to come along…
June 26th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Thanks for the info.! I’ve tried Match.com, Yahoo! Personals, and got rejected by eHarmony.com, lol. (Talk about “really not helping”) ;)
Maybe we could compile lists of actual reviews from actual customers of these places. Seems I’ve found a place or two that actually does that, but I think more is needed for us online.
Peace.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Very solid tips here Khan. You really have to exercise extreme precautions when meeting people online. There are a lot of sexual predators lurking around chat rooms and forums. Girls should be educated when it comes to online dating to avoid traumatic experiences. I’ll be sure to share your article. Thanks for this Khan.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Really nice tips !
I recomend Singlerepublican.com to all ! I met there my wife, we have now 2 children and we are 10 years :))
Very important tips is Start slow. I lost my girl few times for it.
Thanks !
September 11th, 2009 at 3:13 am
Thanks for the read khan. There are a few tools out there now for firefox that sends an ed-mail to the parent at work saying your daughter has accessed the internet, and is on so and so site.
September 23rd, 2009 at 3:37 am
Any online websites will require some due diligence and trail before coming to an indefinite answer on whether it works or not.
To me, any social networking platform is just as good as a match date site.
If you’d like more powerful cutting edge dating tips for guys, or to discover what attracts women, what women want in men, and what women want in bed, check out my blog at http://www.absolutedatingtips.com
October 28th, 2009 at 12:09 am
You are right! There are many dating sites which is ready to guide in finding the right lifetime partner for you. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the experience when you take the safety measures. So give your best shot. Happy love searching!
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:15 pm
I also agree with Kathy, online dating is safer than going to date now.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:35 am
Excellent list of sites and the advice you’ve given about online dating is very helpful – especially for those just starting out. Dating online is hard enough with so many sites out there – so it makes sense to aim for a more specialized site – like one for dating professionals for example.