6 Aug

Red Flags of Online Dating

While the vast majority of people looking for love through online dating sites are honest, there are those who have something to hide. Whether they are married, underage, or a scammer trying to solicit money or personal information, the following warning signs can help you spot a potential problem:

Trust your instincts. If your friend only wants to talk at odd hours, speaks in hushed tones or cuts off the call quickly, talks in circles, answers your questions vaguely, or repeatedly confuses you with someone else, chances are he or she is not as free or as forthcoming as he or she pretends to be. If it feels wrong, it probably is.

Get the details. Before you even entertain the idea of meeting someone in person, get as much information as you can about them. If they are reluctant to share information about themselves but want you to divulge about yourself at length, beware. A one-sided relationship is not charming, it’s potentially dangerous.

Do your homework. Most dating websites do not require their members to submit to background checks, so you never really know who you’re communicating with. Ask questions, use Google, and employ your best judgement. If you uncover information that is troubling or seems incongruent, chances are this is a person you should stay away from.

Slow down. Someone who pledges their undying love after a few simple chats might seem like a hopeless romantic, but they could be hiding a secret. Love has to build over time, no matter how strong your initial attraction.

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5 Aug

Finding a Dating Site to Suit You

When considering online dating for the first time it can be very confusing when you are faced with the – literally – hundreds of dating sites that are now in existence. There are a number of things that need to be taken into consideration when choosing a site that will meet your needs.

First of all, how easy is it to use? Is the registration process fairly straightforward? Some sites allow you to register fairly quickly then complete the actual profile at a later date, although some expect part of the profile to be done as part of the registration process. If you choose the first type of site, allow plenty of time for registration; it is not something that can be done quickly on your lunch break.

Do you want a free site or one that requires a membership fee? There are added benefits when paying a membership fee, but these aren’t always necessary as the extra features are not always worth it. Check what you get for your money before deciding to pay out.

Do you want an everyday site or one that is more geared to your own personal interests? There are online dating options for those who have specific interests, such as religion, sports and their professions. One of these might be better for you if you are looking for someone who has similar interests to you. The sites which are open to all may make it more difficult to find a partner if your interests are obscure.

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3 Aug

Long Distance Dating

One particular scenario that regularly crops up when using internet dating sites is the issue of long distance dating and relationships. It may be that when you search the sites for potential partners in your particular part of the country you do not find anyone that you want to contact, so widening your field of search is usually the answer.

This can mean that you end up contacting people who live more than 50 miles away from your home. For those with transport this may not seem like a great distance, but for some people it can be a problem.

When meeting up for the first time, it is only fair to arrange to meet somewhere in the middle. As with meeting anyone you have contacted through a dating service, ensure your personal safety when you first meet by meeting in a public place and making sure a friend knows where you are.

The beauty of online dating is that most of the initial contact is through email, with phone calls and meetings coming later.  Long distance relationships will rely on emails and phone calls to sustain them, so if you are already used to this then you are at an advantage.

When you first meet someone – as with all dates – you should be wary about inviting them to stay at your home until you have got to know them better. Long distance does not mean that you have to invite them to stay at your home when they are in the area.

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28 Jul

Online Dating is Becoming Ever More Popular

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

Staying Safe While Online Dating

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

Five Tips to Keep You Safe on Long Distance Meetings

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 online dating

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

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

Dating Tips for Shy People

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 Dating Site

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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