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What is online dating?
From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia
A Net dating service, also known as online dating or internet
dating, is an example of a dating
system and allows individuals, couples and groups to meet
online and possibly develop a romantic or sexual relationship.
Net dating services provide un-moderated matchmaking
through the use of personal
computers, the Internet,
or even cell
phones.
Such services generally allow people to provide personal
information, then search for other individuals using criteria
such as age range, gender and location. Most sites allow
members to upload photos of themselves and browse the photos
of others. Sites may offer additional services, such as
webcasts, online
chat, and message
boards. Sites sometimes allow people to register for
free but may offer services which require a monthly fee.
Many sites are broad-based, with members from a variety
of backgrounds looking for different types of relationships.
Other sites are more specific, based on the type of members,
interests, location, or relationship desired.
Trends
U.S. residents spent $469.5 million on online dating
and personals in 2004, the largest segment of “paid content”
on the web, according to a study conducted by the Online Publishers
Association (OPA) and comScore Networks.
At the end of November 2004, there were 844 lifestyle and
dating sites, a 38 percent increase since the start of the
year, according to Hitwise Inc. However, market share was
increasingly being dominated by several large commercial
services, including Yahoo!
Personals, Match.com,
American
Singles, and eHarmony.
eHarmony CEO Greg Forgatch noted that despite the growing
number of sites catering to specific niches, "to become
a major player, it still takes a large number of people."
In 2002,
a Wired
magazine article forecast that, "Twenty years from now,
the idea that someone looking for love without looking for
it online will be silly, akin to skipping the card catalog
to instead wander the stacks because 'the right books are
found only by accident.' Serendipity is the hallmark of inefficient
markets, and the marketplace of love, like it or not, is becoming
more efficient".
The online dating trend has also become very successful
in Europe in the past decade. Not only has match.com opened
local branches in European countries to cater to their particular
culture and language, but also some companies like Meetic
and Easyflirt have become top sites[citation
needed]. Their success has encouraged
new start-ups and niche sites to come on board.
Mobile
dating websites are gaining popularity. According to The
San Francisco Chronicle in 2005, "Mobile dating is the next
big leap in online socializing." Some experts believe that
the rise in mobile dating is due to the growing popularity
of online dating. Analyst Brent Iadarola of Frost & Sullivan
said, "I think people are more comfortable with online dating,
and it's generally been accepted, the comfort people have
with online dating in the wired world is now translating to
the mobile world." Others believe it is all about choice,
as Joe Brennan Jr., vice president of Webdate says, "It's
about giving people a choice. They don't have to date on their
computer. They can date on their handset, it's all about letting
people decide what path is best for them."
Problems with Online Dating Services
There can be a variety of problems with using online dating
sites. Some sites expect members to sign up "blind", eHarmony
for example, with no preview of the type of profiles they will
get to see. On other sites, some profiles are not actually real
people, but "bait" put there by the site owners to attract new
paying members. Both Yahoo Personals and Match.com have received
several complaints of this tactic. Some users spam sites with
"fake" profiles that are in reality advertisements to other
services, such as prostitution or multi-level
marketing. A majority of dating sites keep profiles online
for months or even years since the last time the person has
logged in, thereby making it seem as though they have more available
members than they actually do. Many sites offer the option to
sort search results based on activity, however. Most sites still
have significantly more male members than female
Most members are enticed to join dating websites with free
or low-priced "trial" memberships advertised on many other
websites. These trial memberships lack many of the features
of the full membership, including the ability to contact
other members or reply to e-mail from other members. On
sites which require credit card information to join at all,
these trial memberships often automatically become full
memberships at the end of the trial period and charge the
full monthly fee, without any additional action from the
member and regardless of whether the member has actually
used the services or not. For paying members, it is often
unclear whether a potential contact has a full subscription
and whether he or she will be able to reply at all.
Even when members' profiles are "real", there is still
an inherent lack of trust with other members. Many members
misrepresent themselves by telling flattering 'white lies'
about their height, weight and age, or using old or misleading
photos. Members can, of course, ask for an up-to-date photograph
before meeting others. Online
predators find online dating sites especially attractive,
because such sites give them an unending supply of new targets
of opportunity for Internet
fraud.
Some sites cater to people with special interests (e.g.
sports fans, nerds), professions, political preferences,
ethnic groups, conditions (e.g. HIV+, obese), or religions.
Matrimonials
Sites are a variant of online dating sites, and these
are geared towards meeting people for the purpose of getting
married. Gross misrepresentation is less likely on these
sites than on 'casual dating' sites. Casual dating sites
are often geared more towards short term (and implicitly
sexual) relationships.
- You've
Got Mail, a 1998 film in which the two protagonists
conduct a relationship entirely over email before meeting
each other.
- Napoleon
Dynamite, a 2003 film in a which one subplot involves
a central character's online (and later physical) relationship.
- Must
Love Dogs, a 2005 film about two people trying
to find love through online dating.
- Another
Gay Movie, a 2006 film where a student finds his
high school English teacher online.
See also
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