The Benefits of Dating Online

Although friends will sometimes give you a hard time for dating online, it is the most efficient form of dating. When you meet someone in the grocery store, the coffee shop, or a bar you don't know anything about them before you say, "hello". It usually takes several dates to learn about a person and their habits. For example, how many dates does it typically take before you can ask the other person if they want to have kids? When you date online the information is usually given in their profile.

Whether you tell your friends and family about your new dating adventure is up to you. Some people still think online dating is weird or unnatural. Technology has changed many facets of our lives, why not dating as well? A friend of mine is worried someone may lie to her online and that is why she chooses to avoid it. People can lie to you anywhere. For those who must be absolutely certain about the person they are speaking with some dating sites allow users to verify their identity.

The advantage of getting to know someone online is the ability to remain anonymous. If there is ever a person you've made contact with that won't leave you alone, you can simply block them. Before ever saying hello you can learn about their previous marital status, employment, whether they have or want to have kids, and height and weight. Reading another person's essays gives you a sense of their personality. Personally, I always combed the essays for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors. Posting a photo is usually optional or in your profile settings you can choose who you allow to see your photo. Two people can converse back and forth until both parties decide they want to meet for coffee.

Sure there are profiles online where people don't put forth much effort answering questions. If someone doesn't have the time to answer the questions that will put them in the best possible light, are they worth the time? Well, it depends on what sort of relationship you are looking for. For those looking for a fling the details of the other person will not matter too much because the relationship is only going to be short term. However, if you're looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right then you must decide if that is the type of person you seek. Maybe you didn't answer all of the questions either. It may be a perfect match.

Typically when two people decide to meet they've usually shared photos to help identify each other. In addition to photos you can mention a detail such as you'll be wearing a red scarf. The best suggestion is to meet in a busy public place. That way if it isn't going to work out you can still keep some of your anonymity.

There are several online dating sites to choose from. Some are more expensive and require a personality test before matchmaking can begin. In my experience most sites allow matches between all users based on sexual orientation. These sites are a great way to meet a large number of people, and you get to determine who the best fit is. When I began looking for Mr. Right I chose the more expensive service. I wanted to be sure my date had a job and was serious enough to spend a little extra too. As I made my way through the lengthy personality test I became certain those I met on the other side would be as serious as I was.

During my dating years I occasionally joined an online dating site to give my love life a boost. In my experience the cheaper sites were better than meeting someone on the street. I had a sense of who the person was before I ever agreed to a date. In my early thirties I thought I had better step it up if I ever wanted to have kids. So I signed up for eHarmony. It was a little creepy how well they match people. Sometimes when you meet a new person there is an instant "click". That happened with everyone they matched me with. A few of them didn't work out but one of them did.