When I reveal that I met my husband Matt online, people automatically assume that I had joined an online dating site. The truth is I met Matt on a free music downloading site.
I have so many friends who are members of online dating sites and some have gone on to find partners and fall in love. Some use online dating sites because they have been in a long term relationship that ended and the prospect of dating scares them.
Online dating has some great benefits, you can actually be really picky. I had a good look around Lovestruck, which says the following;
Dating is time-consuming. There is no other way of putting it. Chatting someone up is time-consuming, making the phone call is time-consuming, and having a first date can be very very time-consuming.
“And look at you, for Pete’s sake. You’re a busy, popular person. Between meeting up with your work friends, school friends, uni friends, ex-work friends, your friends from football/rugby/hockey/netball/uh,frisbee, the friends you kind of nicked from your ex, that person you find seriously funny that none of your other friends like, and occasionally going to the gym, you don’t have a spare evening very often. And when you do, you need to do your washing and call the folks. In fact, you’re so damn busy that frankly we’re surprised you’ve read this far. (Though we do appreciate it.)
And here’s where Lovestruck really comes into its own – our service is designed to help you find other gorgeous singles who live, work – or simply are – near you. So you can meet them for half an hour over a coffee or something stronger to see if there’s any chemistry.
Becoming a Lovestrucker is quick, easy and free. So join now and, in less than 60 seconds, you’ll be able to browse our Little Black Book.”
I think the one thing that would worry me about online dating would be, how do you really know the person your talking too is who they say they are? But then I guess that’s the same with someone you meet in person. Lovestruck is one of the dating sites that does take your safety into account and offers strict privacy controls. You can decide who can see your profile and like many sites you can view and send messages but you have to pay a membership fee. I suppose I would prefer to pay a small fee in return for a well run dating site.
As a Non Member, you can:
- Add your profile and up to four photos
- Set a privacy level to suit you
- Browse the whole base
- Wink at people that you fancy
However, if you want to make a real impression, Connect or Elite Membership is where it’s at. Connect and Elite Membership levels are designed to provide an edge in the dog-eat-dog world of online dating (although we do try to operate a dog-free policy). As a Connect Member, you can do all of the above, plus:
- Send and receive unlimited messages
- Add up to four more photos
- Check out Members’ photo albums
- See who’s checked you out
- See who’s got you as a favourite
- Receive instant/daily email alerts about new matches
- Get instant alerts when someone is Free For Lunch
or Free Tonight
I can see why people prefer this choice when dating, you get to actually check them out. You can view their images and profiles and look for potential dating partners that are close enough to you. I think its great that you can make a little list of all the “Ok I might like to meet you” people and have actually find someone who you will at least have something in common with.
Matt & I chatted online and then by phone for 6 months before we actually met in the flesh. By the time we did meet, he was already my best friend. Chatting online honestly about yourself seems easier than in real life and as long as you are honest, then you could well find that you too fall in love and meet the partner of your dreams.
If you get fed up of them, you don’t have to make excuses, you can just not email them back. You can also sit in your pjs with your hair in a messy bun, than have to get dressed up and make an effort to impress. This is my kind of dating.
Lovestruck offers the following advice before arranging to meet anyone you meet online;
Before the date
- Tell at least one friend or family member who you’re meeting, where you’re meeting, when you’re meeting and when you expect to return. Do your best to let your date knows that others know.
- Choose a busy, public meeting place near a tube station, or near the girl’s home or office (if you’ve squeezed into your most sadistic heels for him, you won’t thank him for a painful, bunion-inducing hike).
- Take a fully charged mobile with you. Send a text or call your friend/family member when your date goes to the toilet.
- Get to and from the date yourself, even if you have to take a taxi.
- Gents, don’t forget – nice watch and nice shoes go a long way.
Have you ever joined a dating site? Would you join a dating site? Ever had an online love affair? I would love to hear all about your online dating experience …
