28 Jul
Research by Stanford University shows that more and more people are using a dating site to meet the love of their life, even more so than the usual offline methods. According to Michael Rosenfeld, a sociologist at Stanford, the most common groups to go online are gay and lesbian people and middle-aged heterosexuals. All of them seem to have given up on meeting people through friends, family or local meeting places.
In a surprise finding, Rosenfeld saw that amongst a group of 3,000 surveyed 61% of gay men said they met their partner through online dating, whereas only 21% of heterosexual couples met via Internet dating. Rosenfeld says he didn’t expect the difference to be as big as that, but the numbers don’t lie.
The sociologist says that one of the main benefits of dating through websites such as Parship, Flirtbox or Trust Cupid is the degree of anonymity offered. A dating website allows a user to look around without making themselves known to others and also makes an otherwise limited dating pool much bigger and deeper. According to Rosenfeld, online dating allows anyone to find that needle in a haystack.
It is estimated that there are 120,000 marriages a year that result directly from paid for or free dating sites. This is an enormous number and it is incredible to imagine that few of these people would ever have met in normal circumstances. In addition, the majority of them are likely to have found someone much closer to their ideal than they would have been able to before the Internet dating era.
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26 Jul
Dating online gives you the chance to get to know a person a little better before you actually meet them, but there are a few things you can do to ensure your personal safety. Some sites will vet member profiles to ensure they are not offensive in any way and most sites will allow you to report any member that you feel is behaving in an inappropriate way.
It is advised that you do not give out personal contact details as soon as another member gets in touch. This will ensure that you still have your privacy while you chat online to the other member and get to know them better. The more you know the easier it is to decide if you want to pass on your personal details.
There are also people using online dating sites who do not tell the truth about themselves. This can be worrying, as the person you are getting to know is possibly not really the one you would meet. All members should be advised to be as honest as possible, but if you have any doubts about the honesty of the person you are talking to, then it might be recommended to cut contact.
When you meet for the first time it is advisable to do this in a public place. The first couple of dates may be awkward enough without arranging to meet a stranger in a secluded spot. Always tell someone where you are going and sort out your own transport so you will not need to rely on your date for a lift home.
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23 Jul
Internet dating has made it easier to connect with eligible bachelors and bachelorettes all over the world. While meeting a long-distance love can be exciting, there are some practical safety tips you need to keep in mind to ensure your well-being.
1. Always stay in a hotel on a first visit, never in your date’s home. If you can’t afford lodgings, cancel the trip.
2. Meeting in an airport terminal may seem sexy and romantic, but you should always insist on taking a taxi – alone – to your hotel when you arrive for your first visit. Anyone who genuinely likes you will understand.
3. Keep the location and address of your hotel private. No matter how often you’ve chatted on the phone or stayed up into the wee hours exchanging IMs, realise that you do not really know this person. Until you are certain of your date’s intentions, don’t tell him or her where you’re staying.
4. Store cash, jewellery, passports and any other valuables in your hotel safe while you go on your date.
5. Tell someone your plans and check in with them regularly. Internet dating is not as mysterious or taboo as it was just a few years ago. Resist the urge to conceal your plans from family and friends out of embarrassment. Make sure your loved ones know where you’re going, where you’ll be staying, who you are meeting, how to reach you, and when you’ll be back. And be sure to tell your date that someone is keeping tabs on you.
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20 Jul
LoopyLove is an online dating site which offers users a fun environment in which to meet potential new partners. It is a free to register site, which allows users to create a profile and browse the profiles of other members, using the search facility to narrow it down to those who meet your requirements. There are over 1.5 million members worldwide and thousands of new members join each month.
The site has a number of articles on dating, including how to behave on a first date, ensuring your own personal safety when meeting strangers you have contacted online, dating hints for the older person, tips on flirting, what to wear on a date and the importance of choosing the right screen name. Members can also log on to read articles about the latest developments in the love lives of the stars.
There is a strict privacy policy on the site which means that your personal contact information will never be given out to other members. It is advised that you get to know other members well before you give them your phone number or email address and only do so if you feel completely comfortable. If someone asks for that information and you are not ready to hand it over, be honest with them and do not take the risk.
The customer service team can answer any queries that you may have, although the site has a number of features which can guide you through the whole dating process.
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16 Jul
Free online dating is something that most people will be looking for when choosing a dating site. Most dating sites do offer a free service, but this will be their most basic package. It will allow you to register with the site, create a profile and browse the profiles of others, but you will not be able to contact other members. For many people this will be all that they need. Each site usually has thousands of members, most of which will pay for the premium service that allows them to contact others, so even basic members will be contacted regularly by other users.
Paying for the premium services does have its advantages as it means that you do not have to wait for others to contact you, but you can take the first step and send somebody a message if you like the look of their profile. For women this might be a good thing as meeting men the traditional way can be awkward if you are wary about speaking to them first. Online dating, even with a comprehensive profile, means that you are still fairly anonymous at first. It can also help you to raise your confidence levels.
One of the disadvantages of paying for premium membership is that some sites can be relatively expensive and most work on 6 month memberships. Some will offer a money back guarantee which gives you either free membership or a refund if you do not meet someone special within a specified period of time.
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15 Jul
Even shy people date. It’s natural to say don’t worry, its only meeting people, but if you are shy it can feel as if a hole beneath your feet will open up. Like all things, it’s all in the preparation. Not matter who you meet, where you go or what you eat, there are a few things you can guarantee.
Appearance
If you make sure you look good when you go out then it will take the pressure off you and you can concentrate on your date.
Conversation
There are a few things they will ask you and you can return the complement by finding out about them. Talking needs to be a two-way thing, so if you have a few questions in mind to start with you won’t feel the urge to clam up. Where did you go to school, what do you do, do you have a pet and what do you do to relax are great icebreakers.
Body Language
Being relaxed is important on a date. The key to this is breathing – if you take a quiet big deep breath and let it out slowly, it slows your heart down and naturally relaxes you. Look your date in the eye, don’t cast your eyes down or avoid them, and sit facing them with your knees pointing in their direction.
If you appear relaxed, talkative and attentive then they will notice you and not your shyness. Everyone is nervous on a first date and getting over shyness is not an overnight thing, but by coming forward more you will seem a confident, passionate and interesting person.
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12 Jul
Flirtbox is a 100% free online dating website, which was established as an alternative to sites which require a subscription. Some users may be put off by the idea of paying a subscription which can occasionally be expensive, particularly when there is no guarantee of success. Flirtbox proves that it is not necessary to spend a lot of money in order to find someone special.
Flirtbox was also designed to appeal to those who are looking for more fun in their lives and was seen as an antidote to the ‘fear factor’, which is often associated with meeting people online. The search facility on Flirtbox allows users to completely narrow down their search so that they can browse the profiles of those that match.
The site features video tutorials on registering your membership and completing your profile, as well as chat rooms where all members can get together to talk about anything they want. Personal information is kept completely confidential, and each member has a mailbox within the site so that it is not necessary to hand out personal contact details. Only give that information when you feel completely comfortable with the person to whom you are talking.
There is a useful FAQ section which is fully interactive for the members and covers every eventuality, but the customer service team is easily contactable if you have a problem.
As always, when meeting people for the first time, it is advisable to take care with your personal safety. Always tell a friend where you are going and meet in a public place.
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8 Jul
Everyone hates writing an online dating profile, but remember, this is where potential dates are going to find you, so it’s important you make a great impression. You can’t trust cupid or leave it to some sugar daddy. This is where you make the difference.
First and foremost, be honest, be yourself. This is the person will meet at the end of the day. If they can’t handle that, then best let them know up-front what they are letting themselves in for.
Consult with your friends; ask them what they think your winning qualities are. They are likely to have plenty of ideas about you that you have never considered before.
Include a photo, a nice clear sharp, one of you at your best, smiling and in a good light. Yes, they will judge you by your photo, but they will also meet you as well.
Give your profile the WOW factor. You can still tell the truth and make yourself sound interesting. Remember you will only have moments to catch a potential date’s attention, so those first few lines need to be killers. Be positive, you are an interesting person that people would love to meet.
Keep things short and sweet. Dates will not read a book, but include your hopes and regrets, places you like going, as well as hobbies and interests. People will be looking for something they can relate to, so give them a few clues. Give them enough to make them interested, but leave plenty for them to want to get to know.
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6 Jul
It makes no difference if you are speed dating, meeting on a blind date or signing up on a dating website, the best way to find out about a person is to ask questions. If you are not a naturally talkative or inquisitive person it will help if you have considered a few options before the big event.
Through questioning you can find out about your date, her history and interests. Find some common ground and similar likes and dislikes that you share. The easiest way to get anyone to talk is to ask open-ended questions, ones that are impossible to only answer with a yes or no. They force the person to reveal something about themselves.
What’s your favourite season?
What are you looking for in a relationship?
If you could have any job in the world what would it be?
How would you describe your work?
If your life was made into a movie what would the title tune be?
What would you do if you went to work and found out you had the day off?
If you are ill, what’s your favourite food?
What five adjectives best describe you?
Where is your most favourite destination?
What is the one thing you have been craving today?
You have to be careful not to appear abrupt or rude on your first date. Most people are at their most guarded on a first date; they will want to impress and not disappoint. If you speak before on the Internet use the time to find out about them so you have things to talk about when you go out.
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3 Jul
With the expansion and evolution of online dating services ongoing each and every day, one set of services has remained relatively unchanged. Relationship services take the casual online dating environment and turn it into a much more serious programme. These types of websites and services were designed for serious, often marriage minded people, in order to help them find a “soul mate”. With a focus on inherent social chemistry and long-term compatibility, these services are commonly regarded as being both highly successful and consistent.
With such a focus on quality, the common procedure with relationship services is to complete a lengthy personality questionnaire. These surveys can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over 90 minutes to complete. These answers are then used to determine the type of people that you might be compatible with, as well as suggesting some potential matches. Unlike a general online dating site, what sets a relationship service apart is the inability to access any profile that you want. Quality matters to these companies, and the service simply feels that it is best qualified to find the best match, and will therefore only show you their “compatible” matches.
With the lack of search freedom and the higher price tag that comes with this increased level of service, it’s important to understand that the relationship services have been very successful. These services are definitely not for everyone, but for many the increased level of compatibility research has quite a bit of scientific merit, and should be considered by anyone that is really serious about finding a partner for life.
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