Speed dating started in 1998, thought up by a Rabbi as a way to help Jewish singles meet. Since then, the "round robin" dating experience has become profitable for matchmaking companies and trendy for those who are open to looking for love in unusual places.

The basic idea is that you sign up with a company-and there are plenty to choose between from the original SpeedDating ® for Jewish singles to others that focus on professionals, age groups, or sexual orientation. The events are held in restaurants, bars, or other public locations with sections rented for the function. You get a number and a note card (a basic suggestion is to bring your own little notepad in addition-meeting ten or so people in an hour, it's easy for them to blend into one another), and then the games begin. Often one group, such as the women, will be stationary at their table while the other group, such as the men, move about the room.

So are these events a solution for meeting the perfect mate or are they part of the overall problem of people not connecting?

Like many things in life, it's just not that black and white.

There are obvious problems to speed dating. I have only once in my life met someone and immediately exchanged numbers. People like me tend to find love developing with friends or acquaintances over time. The idea of meeting someone, having a three to ten minute conversation, and then meeting nine or so other people and picking some to contact further seems more than a little overwhelming and uncomfortable.

While there are plenty of studies out there that tell us that we form opinions about others within the first 30 seconds of meeting them, most people can probably think of examples of changing their minds about someone. You meet someone that you think is great, but days or weeks later, you discover that you really can't get along. Similarly, we sometimes meet people whose dress or manner put us off instantly, but in time we find deeper parts of them that we like.

But if there are cons to speed dating, there are also pros.

• 1. Going to a speed dating event means you're in a situation with others also looking for a relationship. This isn't necessarily the case with going out to clubs or bars.
• 2. You do get to meet in person. You won't be in a situation where the fantastic woman you met online turns out to be underage...or a man.
• 3. Each party indicates a yes or no on their dating cards and, if both say yes, the service exchanges the information for them; you don't end up having to either convince someone to give you a try nor turning down someone that you aren't interested in.

And face it, it's not easy to meet people these days. It gets worse and worse the older you get. In school, we're surrounded by potential mates. Then we hit the working world where company policy is sometimes prohibitive of dating co-workers, and even when it's not, common sense and the fear of what happens after a break up stop us.

Speed dating is one of many options worth a try. What if it doesn't work for you? You spend a few bucks meeting people that don't inspire you to get to know them more, and you move on. On the other hand, you might just meet someone who will become a good friend or even a mate for life.