In the online dating world there are usually two types of people, those that are looking for a meaningful relationship and those that just want to hook up. Well, this article is only going to focus on those superficial animals that are just looking for a good time.

Now most people would probably look down on this type of online dating but some research suggests that people looking for an intimate encounter online are increasing. And this isn't just men either, women are increasingly looking for that one time fling as well.

One press release by Markus Frind, owner of the Plenty of Fish dating site, said that since 2004 the number of women who had selected the "intimate encounters" dating option had increased from 9% to 18%. Seriously, 18% of female profiles looking for a fling is nothing to sneeze at. That's a pretty good amount of casual encounters.

So what's wrong with an innocent little hook-up every now and then? Some might say it's immoral or that you don't create any real meaningful connection with the other person. That's understandable, but in my opinion there is nothing wrong with a fling here and there. It's not like this is how you are going to meet "the one," it is simply a way to bide your time, release some sexual tension, until your normal dating/social efforts make some progress.

Of course, should you choose this style of online dating, then you are bound to run into a number of dilemmas that may conflict with your life.

The main dilemma is that of public exposure, particularly if you are using a free site like PlentyofFish.com. Profiles on most dating sites are viewable and open to the public audience. So, it might be obvious that you run the risk of someone you know seeing your seductive online dating profile and deeming it inappropriate . For some this isn't a big deal, but for others who may work in a professional environment, the consequences of being known as a philanderer or promiscuous could be dire.

You could go to a members only private site like Fling.com or AdultFreindFinder, where there tends to be a little more discretion than a public site. However, the problem here is that your profile's selling point is going to be all about the pictures. This means that in order to have any kind of success at finding intimate encounters, you are going to have to put up some provocative photos that show of your desirable goods. Again, here you run the risk of "getting caught" however the risks will be lowered as you are now on a paid dating site that is not open to just anyone and if someone should find you, then chances are that that person is aperv as well, so you at least have something to bargain with.

Choosing the risque route of looking for intimate encounters is certainly not for everyone, but be aware that this has become an increasingly growing option in the world of quick hook-up online dating.