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How to Find the Best Internet Dating Service for You

Dawg — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 02:29:45 +0000

Many people seeking love, romance and companionship online ask the question, "What is the best internet dating service?"

Indeed, is there a way to determine whether or not a dating service will help you meet your long-term (or even short-term if that's what you want) partner?

There are virtually all types of dating sites. To determine the best one for you, you will have to narrow down your search. Actually the question should be "what is the best dating internet service for me (meaning you)?"

First, you should know what you want. Are you looking for a long-term or short-term relationship? Are you looking for fun of the adult genre? Are you looking for a potential marriage partner? Answering these questions is what will help narrow down the field and find the right dating site.

Here is a small list of categories of dating sites you will come across:

General or popular dating sites: These are profile based sites, meaning that you will be required to post a profile of yourself and often answer multiple choice and/or essay questions. These types of dating sites cater to virtually all interests. If all you want is a partner, short-term or long-term, or a relationship with the potential for getting long-term somewhere down the road, this may be the right site for you.

Matchmaking or matrimonial dating sites: These are for people seeking marriage or a long-term relationship. Matchmaking sites are usually personality-based, as they do the matching for you (you can also do your own matching) with potential compatible partners, based on your personality profile. Matrimonial sites are more or less like matchmaking sites, but are designed for people whose religion or culture does not allow for open dating (where dating is taboo).

Special-interest dating sites: These are for people who seek partners who share an interest such as culture, religion, ethnicity, body type, or passion among other things. Examples are biker dating, Christian dating, big women dating, speed dating, dog lovers etc.

As you can see, the only way to find the best internet dating service for you is to first know what you want. Once you narrow it down, get a free trial with at least two or three sites of similar category and test them out. And just by the way, social networking sites are not dating sites. If you are serious about finding a partner, go to a real dating site.

Online Dating Not For Losers, Weirdos, Or Geeks

Dawg — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:28:41 +0000

Like customs, old beliefs, stereotypes and attitudes die hard. They can tend to linger, sometimes long after they have long been debunked. Sadly, there is a lingering stigma or shame about online dating today, long after it has gained wide acceptance.

Once thought to be the domain of losers, weirdos and geeks, online dating is today an acceptable way of meeting a partner or even a spouse. It is estimated that one in five relationships now begin online. Why then, is there some trace stigma or shame attached to it still? I found an interesting post that re-visits this subject. Here are excerpts:

Online dating was once something that people did in private. But recently when someone told me she met her boyfriend "in line at the bookstore" and I later met him and discovered A.) he wasn't a "bookstore" kind of guy and B.) they actually met on Match.com, I was surprised. Isn't online dating kind of the norm now?
After all this time, I would think online dating would have long since surpassed the stigma it once had of weirdos in basements who pretended to be 6'2" lawyers when they are actually 5'1" and have no jobs at all. I have seen enough marriages come of online dating and now even celebrities (like Carrie Ann Inaba) are doing it like it's the norm.
Or maybe people are lying. Maybe more people are meeting online than are admitting it. So what's up with the stigma? It's 2011, people! Almost everyone I know has gone on at least one online date. See original story

I totally agree. No one should feel even remotely ashamed or embarrassed to say they met their significant other online. Not in the 21st century anyway. Your thoughts welcome (you can leave your comments below).

Online Dating Sites Can End Lonely Nights

Online Dating Advice For Men

Dawg — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:36:25 +0000

Tips And Online Dating Advice From One Who Has Done It

I am always in search for good (or great) dating advice. Though I am in a happy relationship, I will continue to do so as I have made it my job. I recently came across a great article that offers great online dating advice for men, by someone who has done it.

What makes this article great is not just that it is extremely well-written (to a point of making me a little envious) but also because of its unique insights. It is not just another online dating advice article that tells you to meet for coffee on a first date. Here are some excerpts followed by my own take on each point:

Important Online Dating Tip: Read Her Picture(s)

If you learn nothing else from my experiences, remember that the picture section of a girl’s profile is far and away the most important part of it. It’s literally the only thing you have to go on until you’ve physically met and spent time with her, and even then it can only take you so far.
The reason for this is that people can easily lie right through their teeth, and that’s doubly true when they can hide behind a keyboard and a user name in their profile. Sure, she might say she loves dogs and hiking and museums, but if she has pictures showing you that, then it adds a lot of credibility to the persona she’s selling you.
Another thing to keep in mind about pictures is that nine times out of 10, a girl is only as attractive as her worst picture. It sounds cruel, but it’s true. The picture that some girls select as their main profile picture often varies wildly from the ones you don’t see without looking for them.

Excellent points, above. I know that you shouldn't judge someone merely on the basis their online dating profile picture. Some people are just not photogenic. I wouldn't have thought of the "attractive as her worst picture" part. Yes, the main profile picture is not what you should go by alone.

Do Nice Girls Make The First Move?

First of all, nice girls don’t make the first move. I don’t know why, but it’s true. When/if you get an unsolicited email from a girl, they almost always reek of desperation, and in my experience, they aren’t much in the looks department. That’s not to say you should ignore them because you never know what might happen, but the desirable ones tend to know they’re desirable, so they have no incentive to reach out to you, because they’re getting 50+ emails per day and can take their pick. No, if you want to get the good ones you have to put yourself out there. I’m fine with that. It more or less mirrors real life. In doing so, you’ll probably want to read her profile first.

I do not quite agree with the above point, at least not the whole of it. Yes, cute girls do get bombarded with emails and instant messages (called flirts or winks in some dating sites). But hot guys do get lots of emails and messages too. Some of the prettiest and nicest girls I've met actually approached me first. My view is that online dating is a two-way traffic. A girl can and should contact a man who piques her interest and vice versa.

Online Dating Advice On Communication

If I had to guess, I’d say that people try to encompass and summarize themselves as a whole, and in the process, it turns into generic drivel. In light of this, my best advice is to make your correspondence very short, as light as possible, and ending with an open-ended question.
That’s important because it’s the only thing that’s going to drive the conversation moving forward. In real life, social cues and surroundings can do a lot to inspire conversation topics, but via email, it’s up to the individuals to move things forward.

Indeed, online dating conversation can be rather dry as it lacks visual clues and stimuli. Open-ended questions are great in that they are engaging (since they can be answered in more than one way).

Advice On Meeting For The First Time

Once you meet, you realize that all of the prior emails and innuendos and witty banter go out the window. You know very little about this person and your only topics of conversation appear to be the standard “Where are you from?" "What do you do?” type questions, which are inherently un-sexy. It’s better if you’re good at talking about things going on around you (even if it’s just a sporting event on TV) and relaying a story about yourself that ties into it. This will hopefully encourage her to do the same. Also, booze helps. But not too much. On my very first online date, I was meeting a girl at a bar to watch a basketball game. The first words out of her mouth were: “Ugh, I can’t believe I’m binge drinking for a ninth night in a row.” It should be noted that it was a Tuesday night.
In regard to the venue, I always, always opt for happy hour, and preferably at a bar convenient to both of us. This may sound cheap or classless, but remember this is a stranger you’re meeting. There may be readers who want to whine in the comments about the death of courtship and guys like me being what’s wrong with the world, but I’m sorry -- I’m not shelling out a ton of cash on someone I’ve never met before.

Almost every online dating advice article or book pushes the "first meet for coffee" line. I totally agree with the happy hour point above, which I never thought of although it is in line with my online dating meeting articles. A happy hour will give you enough time to talk without making it too long, or getting too drunk if alcohol is in the mix.

Okay, if I could I would post the whole online dating advice article here as it is filled with great points. The full post, which I would encourage you to read, is posted at the AskMen website. Any comments, suggestions or additional tips welcome in the comments box below.

British Celebrity Finds A New Man In Online Dating

Dawg — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:18:57 +0000

UK Actress Kerry Katona Finds A Man In Online Dating

Those of us who live in the US may not have heard of Kerry Katona. According to Wikipedia, she is an English media personality, pop singer, actress, magazine columnist and writer or ghostwriter. I like it when a celebrity has a brain to go with the looks and all. Recently, Kerry tried her hand (or shall we say heart?) at online dating and by the look of it, she wasn’t disappointed.

According to a story on the Daily Mail, Kerry signed up with the popular Match.com dating site, and it didn’t take her long to find someone.

Unlucky in love Kerry Katona tries her luck with online dating... and it doesn't take her long to find a new man
She's not had the best luck when it comes to her love life.
So it was only a matter of time before Kerry Katona turned to the internet in a bid to find herself a reliable man.
The twice-divorced reality TV star signed up with online dating website match.com and arranged a date with a man called Stuart Nuttall.
Dating decision: Kerry Katona opted to sign up for online dating in a bid to find a new man
However, despite the website advising users to meet their prospective partners in a public place, Kerry opted to pick Stuart up from Warrington train station in her car.
Mother-of-four Kerry then drove Stuart to her mother's house to drop off the car before the pair made their way to the Orford Hotel for a drink.
Kerry is said to have told her friends before the date: 'I’m sick of being single.
21st Century dating: Kerry is said to have signed up to dating site match.com
'I’m not going to meet a man sitting in my bedroom so why shouldn’t I date online?'

I totally agree with that part of sitting in her bedroom waiting for the right man to show up. It amazes me how many people do just that. Like anything else, love will not find you in your living room watching your favorite show while munching on microwavable popcorn. If a media personality like Kerry can put her face on an online dating site, why not you or I?

I don’t quite agree, though, that one should always meet an online date in a public place. Yes, it is good advice as you really don’t know the real person behind the profile. But that “rule” is not cut in stone. Kerry just took a chance by not taking enough time to get to know her online date online before meeting him. But the good thing is that it ended well. Best wishes to the couple.

How To Start Dating Online

Dawg — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Tips On How To Start Dating Online And Start Meeting Lovely Singles

The incredible growth of the Internet over the past decade has changed many facets of daily life, including how people shop, get their news and even find a person to date. Though no longer a new concept, many folks are still not familiar with its ins and outs and can use a few pointers about how to start dating online.

The truth is that online dating can be a much better use of time and money than trolling around bars and nightclubs hoping to find Mr. or Ms. right. For one, it allows you to conduct your search from the comfort of your own home and without two drink minimums or pounding house music. For those seeking a fun date too, or no-strings kind of relationships, online dating is great for finding these too.

Here are three things to know that will help you when you start dating online.

How To Start Dating Online: Find A Site You Can Trust

There are thousands of dating sites are based in North America, varying in size, efficiency and trustworthiness. Some are created by scam artists hoping to have a love affair with your bank account. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the site.

Take some time to do some research in order to gather as much information and feedback about the site as possible. Want to know how you can cut you research time by half or more? Well, just read objective dating site reviews.

It can be rather difficult to find the right dating site for you if don't know what you want. Therefore, first decide on the kind of relationship you want. Maybe you want someone to spend the weekend with, or a long-term relationship, or even a spouse. General dating sites such as Match.com and FriendFinder.com serve virtually types of people, with varying interests. eHarmony and Perfect Match are made for those seeking long-term relationships or marriage. There is also a niche dating sites for people with specific interests. The different types of dating sites, is subject of a whole different article.

Some say that using several sites at once can be confusing and expensive and you should therefore want join only one in the beginning. We beg to differ.

You see, all the good dating sites do offer a free trial period. You can use this free trial period to test the site. You should choose two or three in the beginning and then decide on one (or more if your budget allows it). Just be aware that some sites offer a rather short trial period; don't let it expire before making use of it.

A little prep work and info gathering up front can go a long way toward helping you find the dating site that is the best fit for you.

How To Start Dating Online: Be Truthful

When people first start dating online, the knee-jerk reaction is to embellish truths such as age, weight and annual income. Some deceptive people even go so far as to use old pictures in their profile, which is certain to backfire if any actual face-to-face meeting ensues. Avoid the natural urge to sugar coat reality and simply be truthful about yourself.

No strong and long-lasting relationship has ever been built on a foundation of deception and lies, so calling yourself the manager of a bank when you work there as a teller is not a wise move. Potential dates will often be far more put off by lies and misinformation than they will be by an old car or a lower-paying job. You want someone who will love for whom you really are.

This having been said, you should feel free to put your best foot forward when taking your profile picture and describing your accomplishments in life.

Be Open Minded And Flexible

Online dating can help you find the person of your dreams. But it is not the key to the gate to fantasy land. If you start dating online with one specific vision of the perfect mate that you are hoping to find, you will likely overlook a sea of worthy candidates.

Flexibility and open mindedness will allow you to interact with an abundance of potential mates, which brings with it confidence and valuable experience. Which in turn allows you to get the most out of your time and money. And possibly meet a wonderful partner.

Next, check out free dating ebooks full of dating and romance tips now.

A Few Tips On How To Date Online And Keep Safe

Video: The Best Cities To Find Love Online

Dawg — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:17:34 +0000

Online dating may be global, but there are cities that engage in this realm more than others. Want to know what cities are best to find love online? Well, just watch the following video (may takes a few seconds to appear):

Courtesy: Forbes™

Click Here To Check Out Best Dating Sites Online

Why Should You Choose an Internet Dating Service?

Dawg — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

How Internet Dating Services Can Help You Find A Date

In the past, relationships were initiated by an introduction from a friend or family member. There was a degree of comfort and security in knowing your date came with a string attached to someone you knew and trusted. However, like all things societal, mores have changed dramatically. As the sexual rules of polite society have changed, so have the inherent risks. These days, internet dating services are the way to go.

Internet Dating Services And Safety Issues

Within the warmth and safety of established, responsible, professional internet dating services, you usually have the option of:

A background check on your prospective date. Many sites automatically include it. Others will let you decide.
Some will do it for a fee, others include it in their membership fees.
A full, current picture of the individual. You'll know exactly what to expect. Your in-shape, twenty-something,
blond, surfer-type, potential Mr. Right won't turn out to be a fifty-something, balding, 250 pound channel-
surfer with one good eye, wearing an electric necktie that says "Kiss me, I'm Irish!"
Some internet dating services even allow you to provide an established time and place for your first meeting.
That provides an even greater measure of safety because the date and place are documented.

Personal Likes, Dislikes, and Personality Features Included for Easier, Better Matching

All respectable, fee-paid internet dating services will include a personal profile for you to complete, for a more
integrated meshing of your likes and dislikes with your Ms Maybe. She'll be sure to know you like camping
and fishing in the nude, and you'll know that she likes her cats sleeping in bed with her. You'll know exactly
where lines are drawn!
Personality traits that are common in Zodiac signs might seem silly to some, but to some people there are some very valid
and accurate personality traits in each Zodiacal sign that can help you avoid tangible problems very soon,
or, sadly, later. It's best to know that she has a tendency to be extremely sensitive before you invite her
over to watch your pet boa feed on white mice.

The benefits of becoming a member of an established, fee-based, or paid-membership dating service, is more than worth the, usually, nominal fee or dues required.

When searching internet dating services, check how long they've been in service. Many sites will offer a free search. You may not be able to contact members, but at least you'll get a feel for the environment. Look for "VeriSign™" and other accredited organizations that vouch for the site's reliability for credit card info safety. You can even go to that organization's site and confirm the dating site's affiliation or membership.

It's better to be safe than to discover you're meeting your neighbor's uncle for a date!

Sugardaddies Dating Survival Guide To Internet Dating: Acronyms For Chatting

Contributor — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:00:46 +0000

Chatting is one of the fun ways to communicate online with your singles. It's one step ahead of the communication ladder from emails. With chatting, you'd get to know if a person is interesting when he'd be able to hold a conversation from minutes to hours.

However, with chatting comes along chat acronyms. What are chat acronyms? They are abbreviations of some words or phrases normally found in the chat room. So you're gonna "HTH" and have a good time while learning these "H" and "I" acronyms:

HT - Hi There or Hello There. This is a informal greeting that you send to someone whom you don't know or who you are not familiar with in the chat room. Especially if you're in a public chat room, you can make your greeting more formal by spelling out "hi" or "hello" instead of typing out the acronym only.

HTH - Hope This Helps. Used, as is quite obvious, when you are extending help to someone, or when someone extends help to you. Usually, it's information that you are looking for and someone has access to it and gives it to you. Like for example "Do u know where 2 look 4 gud cookies here?" and your chat mate replies, "U can try the bakery along Main St. They sell gud pastry. HTH," which translates to, "Do you know where to look for good cookies here?" and "You can try the bakery along Main Street. They sell good pastry. Hope this helps." And we also hope that this example will help you out.

IAC/ IAE - In Any Case/ In Any Event. Used in the same context as you would use the phrase in real life.

IDK - I Don't Know. This is such a common acronym that you'll hear this from teenage girls anywhere. Learn what it means so that you can say that you know what "IDK" means, and you're one acronym closer to being a chat room lingo master.

IDGI - I Don't Get It. Through an application, I just found out that "IDGI." Not a good thing though. You can use this when you don't understand what your chat mate is talking about.

IK/ IKR - I Know/ I Know, Right? This is also a common chat acronym, and yes, it's one of my common words used in Twitter as well. It's the opposite of saying "IDK" or "IDGI." So hopefully, you can type in more "IKs" and "IKRs" than "IDKs" and "IDGIs."

Learn these acronyms and get a head start in getting your matches.

Upgrade your vocabulary to include these acronyms! Don't be left behind! Take a look at our powerful tools and awesome, friendly Millionaire Singles, and avail of our free 30-day trial today at => http://www.UKMillionaireDating.com

More New Dating Sites Launched

Dawg — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:16:09 +0000

Niche Dating Sites Trend Continues To Grow

It seems like there is a new dating site being launched every minute. No, it’s not about mega dating services such as Match.com anymore. Niche dating is the current trend. Specialties include ethnicity, country, and even continent among other criteria or interests. Here are some of the latest additions to the niche dating scene (not in any order):

New site helps couples track and improve their relationships
Social networks are notorious for causing relationship woes and dating sites have little to offer existing couples – can a specially designed online service actually help strengthen a couple’s love connection? San Francisco based startup, TheIceBreak, is about to find out. TheIceBreak is the first relationship service designed to help existing couples connect, communicate, and discover new things about their partners.
“Designed as a helpful and fun service for couples, TheIceBreak provides users with recommendations, relationship metrics, and incentives that enable them to improve their relationships over time. Whether you’re newly together, married or somewhere in between, TheIceBreak keeps your love life fresh and fun!”
Having now started its public beta program, TheIceBreak allows users to sign-up as individuals or as couples – both with the goal of improving their established relationship. Users are presented with a set of questions focused on the past week and their satisfaction with various aspects of their relationship: happiness, communication, support, fun, personal time, quality time and sex. These answers are kept private (even from one’s partner) and are intended to help the user gain perspective on how their feelings about their relationship change from week to week and how they compare to others using TheIceBreak. These stats are presented in a number of easy to read charts and percentage breakdowns. See original story
Brand New Dating Website Launches For Single Lesbian and Bi-Sexual Women
Sapphicencounters.com is a new dating site that enables single lesbian and bisexual women in the UK to chat, flirt, make friends, meet and find love or just have fun together.
The site has also launched a blog which discusses relationships and will expand its content to encompass a multitude of topics of interest beyond the realm of lesbian dating. See original story
New African Online Dating Website Announced
The website will cater solely to those meeting people who live in Africa, or people who are from the continent but have relocated to other areas such as Europe and the U.S. At the time of this press release, the website will be tentatively titled AfricanDatingSitesReview.com
InfoUSA1 launched this website to create a resource where people can meet true Africans, or Africans interested in meeting other Africans.
Internet dating, and online match sites, have not just simply grown more and more popular, they now have become a part of mainstream life. However people interested in this specific niche have been under served. InfoUSA1 realized there was a need for a place where African individuals can connect with each other. See original story

I couldn’t help wondering about Egypt being there among the African countries included in the African dating site. You see, while Egypt is geographically located in Africa, it (or should I say she) identifies more with the Middle East than Africa. But this is not a social-political blog.

New Dating Site: For People Who Cannot Have Sex

Dawg — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 01:50:45 +0000

New Niche Dating Site For Those Who Can't Have Sex Launches

The niche dating site thing continues. There is a dating site for anything (or any interest) you can think of and some things you can’t even imagine. One of The latest additions to the niche dating scene is a site for people who can’t or won’t go all the way. Kind of strange, as many today date to get laid first and then relationships follow (it’s just the way it is). This is not that “let’s just be friends” thing which in many cases simply means “I am not interested in sleeping with you”. Maybe platonic relationships still do exist after all.

Okay, to be fair, there are people who can’t go all the way for religious, cultural, psychological, physical, or even personal reasons. The idea is actually not a crazy one but actually a noble one. In fact, the founder of this dating site started it because she is in herself cannot have sex.

Laura Brashier remembers the last time she dated someone. It was about three years ago. Handsome fella from San Diego. He broke it off after a few months, though. By e-mail. He was out of work and said he wasn't ready to date, or some such variation of the "it's not you, it's me" bit.
Brashier was relieved. She liked him, and clearly there was an attraction. But during their whole time together, she dreaded finding a way to tell him her secret. How do you tell someone who might be The One that there's no possibility of going all the way?
Laura Brashier with her cats Sunny, left, and Jenny at her Rancho Santa Margarita home. The animal lover is looking for someone to share her life with. She's even signed up on her own site, 2date4love.com.
"Little did he know it really was me," she said.
Brashier, a hair stylist from Rancho Santa Margarita, has started a dating website for people in her situation -- people who are physically unable to have sexual intercourse or just want to abstain from it, whether it's because of an illness or injury or religious reasons. The site, www.2date4love.com, launched Aug. 1. It invites users to input details about themselves, look for others with similar interests, and be found by them.
In other words, it's just like any other dating site. Except the sex thing has been taken off the table.
"A lot of people have resigned themselves to being alone," Brashier said.
Even without sex, people long for meaningful relationships. Other visitors to the site might just want someone to go to the movies with or a dinner party.
"Once you take sex out of it, people are still looking for companionship," she said. "It's about finding someone to share your sacred space with, to have someone in your life where it's you against the world." See original story

I agree 100% Ms Brashier. Sex or no sex, people still do need companionship. Like any other niche dating site, this one has the advantage of offering people a chance of meeting others who are just like them. There is no better person than someone who has “been there, done that” so to speak to start such a dating site. Hoping the site will be a quality one (I’m not doubting), thumbs up.