IS TRUE LOVE JUST A CLICK AWAY?
Or, how 4 million internet dating sites can’t be bad.
Once upon a time, men and women met their ideal partners through going to dances, social events, hobby clubs, work, or by other chance encounters.
That was in a more relaxed and leisured age. Times have changed. For many people, especially in the city, their lives are dominated by the pressures of work. Hours can be long and the commute to work and back can extend the working week to over 70 hours. People have become richer in material goods as a result, but millions have less and less leisure time in which to meet and make new friendships which might lead to love, romance and a long lasting relationship.
History
Dating agencies have been around since the 18th Century when they were known as matrimonial agencies; and many people today are still looking for the comfort and support of a caring marriage. Easier divorce and the acceptance of same-sex relationships has resulted in millions of people seeking new life partners.
So much choice
Internet dating agencies have grown rapidly in recent years. It is possible now to find your perfect partner in almost any part of the world. Many of these agencies specialise in certain types of partners based on ethnicity, religion, language, health issues, sexual orientation and the many thousand other variations in human behaviour.
You can contact the potential partner you like the sound or look of, usually by paying a small fee. Many of the sites maintain chat rooms for virtual introductory meetings.
So it is now possible to find your ideal man or woman on the internet, and we wish you every success and happiness in doing so. Remember all these sites leave cookies on your computer and sometimes spyware.
A word of warning
In such a large internet community there will regrettably also be a few oddballs out there and perhaps some sites set up by criminals, so take the usual sensible precautions.
Maintain your Privacy
Do not give information which could reveal your identity until you are confident that it is safe. Be careful in giving your name, address, phone number, email address, place of work, website address, etc. Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into revealing details before you are ready. If they are overly aggressive in asking for identifying information, cut off communication. Do not feel obligated to give more personal details than you are comfortable with. Always contact the administrator of the website if you have concerns.
Beware of misrepresentation
Even with photos, others may misrepresent themselves on the internet. They may make false claims, omit important details, post outdated photographs, or even photographs of other people as their own. Pay attention to the little clues that indicate that a person may be trying to hide something. Watch for inconsistencies in things they write, indicating that they are making things up and having trouble keeping their story straight. Also be cautious if you think the other party is evasive about certain things. That could indicate a problem. You may wish to have a background check done on someone before you get too involved in communicating with or meeting them. If the information in someone's profile is blatantly false, notify the website's administrators.
Be careful when meeting strangers
The first time you meet someone in person, take a friend along or meet and stay in public places. Be sure that someone knows where you're going and when to expect you back. If you have a mobile phone, remember to take it along, and have a friend call periodically. You may wish to take along some form of personal alarm just in case. If someone tries to get you into a situation you are not comfortable with, don't hesitate to refuse, leave, or do whatever is necessary to protect yourself. Never leave a drink unattended and never allow your date to buy you a drink without your seeing it. Nothing that anyone else says or does can oblige you to compromise your own safety.
Trust your feelings and intuition
If you feel uneasy about someone you've met online, err on the side of caution. It's probably better to miss a few good experiences than to have one bad one.
Beware of scams
Sometimes criminals will attempt to use a false dating site to solicit people for scams. If, for example, you ever receive a message asking for help getting large sums of money out of an African country, offering to sell a product, or with any other commercial purpose, do not respond to the message. Instead, please send a copy of the message you received to your Internet Service Provider. You can help everybody by reporting this kind of illegal activity and the ISP will try to get the account of the perpetrator deleted to help protect the safety of other subscribers.
Remember that ultimately, you are responsible for your own safety.
Although the best dating sites do all they can to provide a safe, comfortable environment for building new friendships, the final responsibility for you is yours. If you keep these things in mind, we are confident that the internet can be one of the best tools you've ever had for finding new friends and starting long lasting relationships.
...the best of love online!
