So. It has come to this. Online dating. Is the hunt dead? We don’t think so; just it has gone online as well as the real world. Now , I will admit upfront I am not in the market atm, but for research purposes only I went to match.com doing a how does this work kind of thing(no really). The set up is pretty much the same on most sites, add some info, answer some questions and post a pic.
BUT then as far as I am concerned, something magical happened! EVERY DAY…they send you women who match your criteria to your inbox!! Really, I know it sounds stupid to be soooo surprised, but opening up my email and seeing 20 cute/dam cute girls in my area that are looking for some kind of hook up was the best thing since sliced bread. And it happened every day… Wow is all I can say, guess I have been living under a rock or something. Finding that awesome girl is not always easy, and like a lot of things in life, it can be a partial numbers game. This is a GREAT way to push some numbers. Plus let’s face it, not everybody has that perfect gift of gab and meeting over a chat line, can be a huge plus for some people. So….
How do you know which dating service to use? While we can’t answer that for certain, we can tell you a little bit about each of the major online dating sites so that you can know how to choose the one for you. Tip, most have some kind of intro/free offer to get you hocked, so try a few!
How Online Dating Websites Work
Online Dating is not some magical place you suddenly find yourself perfectly matched to the girl of your dreams. Instead, you provide personal information such as your basic demographics (name, age, career, ethnicity, location, the last time you sold an ex-girlfriend’s shrunken head, just the basic stuff). Then a women on the website can search for you (and vice versa) based on these criteria to find in you a good match. Most websites also have you post a recent picture of yourself on your profile. So even if your 16 year old prom picture is your best photo, don’t put it up or you may attract some interesting viewers. Sites use personality profiling to match people to others with similar interests and characteristics. Occasionally, you’ll also see means for online chatting and webcasts. Personally these features are a must if you ask me. Online dating without some form of vetting could give NEW meaning to the term blind date.
Free Online Dating Sites
Free is free. This means you won’t have to pay a monthly subscription or other fees to use the service. Dating already costs a lot anyway, right? Just remember that with free dating sites, you’ll get all kinds of people coming into your circle. This might mean lots of free sex, but it’s more likely to mean that the person who meets you is a 68 year old woman with thinning frizzy grey hair and tight leather pants. Or maybe it’s actually a drag queen come to persuade you to his way of thinking. So as long as you’re willing to deal with the possibility of that and you’ve got 911 on speed dial to help you deal with the complete psychos, check out these free online dating sites.
DateHookup.com – Free to every demographic. Search by gender, location, age, appearance, personality, education, and more. Use the forums for online chatting.
OKCupid.com – Start by entering your gender, sexual orientation, and current relationship status and before you know it, Cupid will send you right on to her. You might also have to do a little searching on your own.
BeSocial.com – Online dating without the word “date” in the name of the site. This may be good for you if the dating world has not been kind to you and you’d rather just “be social” than admit to needing online services for help in your dating life.
Date.com – No beating around the bush here. This site has been around for fifteen years and is available for searching in the US and Canada. Chat rooms, audio instant messaging, and live web video. Most members are college educated professionals who live in or near large cities.
Subscription Online Dating Services
If you’d rather be certain that your balls stay where they belong and not deal with most of the crazies you can find on free dating sites, you should look into a paid subscription based online dating service. There are plenty of sites to choose from, all claiming to be the best. Honestly, whether you find your perfect match on Match, eHarmony, or Chemistry is more a matter of chance than which website you choose. So choose the site that seems best to you.
Match.com – You’ll find good personality profiling here because they use the Myers-Briggs personality test. Though there are generally more males than females, there’s someone for everyone at Match.com.
eHarmony.com – eHarmony is one of the most popular dating websites (you’ve seen the commercials). Generally speaking, more females join eHarmony than males. This could be good for you because you’d have more options to sort through. eHarmony uses vital attributes and core personality traits to match up men and women.
Chemistry.com – Surprisingly, not a dating site just for chemists. Chemistry claims to provide one of the best personality tests around to help you find chemistry in your dating life.
POF.com – Plenty of Fish is free for basic services with payment required for some special features. While your shrink couldn’t figure out what was wrong with you, POF will tell you exactly where you screwed up last time and help you know what to do next time. They’ll tell you what you need in a relationship besides someone who speaks your language in lovemaking.
Specialized Dating Websites
While most of the above sites listed are general broad-based websites with a variety of people on them, there are also websites that are specifically focused toward people of a certain demographic. For example, you can find religious online dating websites where everyone is a member of your own faith. There are also ethnic dating websites to match you to someone from your ethnic or racial background. These can be easier to sort through rather than trying to find the one among millions of members on mainstream dating sites, especially when 73% of which don’t look anything like their profile pictures. However, most people who use specialized niche sites are male, so you may only have 3 women to choose from. At least that’s better than none, so you may as well give it a shot!
