The pros and cons of online dating

The days when making use of a dating service or a 'lonely hearts club' carried a stigma are long gone. Online dating has become an accepted and popular option for men and women seeking partners or simply wishing to expand their social networks. As with all things in life, there are disadvantages associated with online dating, but these are outweighed by the advantages!

Online dating provides a relatively safe platform from which to meet prospective partners. Many shy away from meeting in bars and clubs. Online dating sites provide an environment where you can gain some knowledge of your prospective dates before meeting face to face. Thousands of people of all ages register on dating sites providing a huge choice of potential partners.

Meeting traditionally takes place through social networks. Occasionally people do meet at clubs or bars. Online dating opens up the opportunity to meet a much broader range of people than would be possible using only your own resources.

Online dating provides the opportunity to meet. Members begin by viewing profiles of prospective dates followed by an email. Contact details are generally not exchanged until both parties are happy to meet. Dating sites provide an element of protection by allowing you to vet your prospective date.

Unsuitable prospects can be eliminated immediately. The prospective partner's profile or style of writing provides clues! The dating site may also provide an indication of how well you meet each other's requirements, whether or not you are a match.

But there are pitfalls to be aware of when joining an online dating site. The online environment provides a platform for those with dishonourable intentions to hide their true selves. People are able to adapt an online personality that bears little resemblance to their true selves.

Some use dating sites to deliberately misrepresent themselves. They post photographs that were taken many years ago. Sometimes they post photos of celebrities. There is an element of risk in moving from the email communication to meeting. The actual meeting can turn out to be a total shock. A stunning twenty year old blonde turns out to be an obese alcoholic of forty plus.

It is always a good idea to arrange a first meeting at a public venue. It your date is not what you expected then it is advisable to walk away. A person that misrepresents him or herself online is unlikely to become a trustworthy partner! A crowded bar or restaurant allows for a quick get-away and an easy escape.

Then there are those that use the dating sites as a base for their scams. They join the sites for financial gain. The person represented in the profile doesn't really exist. Instead it is a criminal organisation that scams lonely and vulnerable people by posting false profiles and mailing them. They operate from far away countries such as Russia

and Ghana. They would like to meet with the prospect of marriage but don't have the money to travel. Once the victim has transferred the funds, the object of their desire disappears. 

Online dating sites do vet the profiles to try to eliminate scammers and people that use celebrity photos as their own. But some inevitably slip through the net.

Don't send money to the stunning Russian or to the sexy Swede in Ghana. If you do you will never see your money - or your prospective bride - again. The object of your desire doesn't really exist. They are really scammers operating from Internet cafes. Listen to your common sense!

Used with an awareness of the dangers, online dating is a very useful way of meeting prospective partners. Avoid the pitfalls and never send money for someone to travel to meet you. If your date turns out to be a different person from the one on the site, then leave immediately. Many lasting relationships have originated in an online dating site. Of course on-line communication will never replace a face to face meeting, but used with care the pros far outweigh the cons!

A look at online dating rules

Follow these simple rules to make online dating a great new experience.

GETTING STARTED

Wide varieties of online dating sites await your visit. Most work in a similar way. You may register, explore the site and even search for a possible match. However, when you are tempted to contact your dream partner, you need to take out a subscription. While these may vary, the rules of most online dating sites are much the same. Complete your profile and add your pictures for free. To make contact, you must pay.

YOUR PROFILE

Online Dating profiles provide your window to the site. First is a bunch of questions about you. Questions about your ideal partner follow. Then there is a free-form text area for you to describe who you are and what you are looking for. It is a good idea to apply the rule of honesty when completing your profile. Honesty simplifies the whole process.

Add a photo of yourself to your profile. Again, the honesty rule applies. If you use a photo of someone else, then there will be some serious explaining - possibly at the expense of a great relationship.

READY TO EXPLORE

Once you have updated your profile, you may explore the site at your leisure. Have a look at who is available, those that you may want to meat. If you like the look of someone, you may mark them as a favorite - they will see you as a fan. The main rule to remember at this stage is that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

FOLLOW THE SITE RULES

Most dating sites have a simple rule about exchanging contract details before both parties have communicated with each other. Apart from protecting its revenue - it does cost money to run an online dating site - the site is protecting you. Most of the people that you meet online are normal people. But there are dangers. Criminals use the Internet too and target dating sites as a source of revenue.

USE YOUR COMMON SENSE

Sometimes a potential partner may seem too good to be true. If in doubt, contact the site administration with the username. The common sense rule is that you don't send money to anyone. A common scam is to get you to transfer money to pay for an air-ticket to meet you because there is a 30 day hold on their own funds.
The second common sense rule is to arrange your first meeting in a public place such as a restaurant. This gives you the opportunity to leave if you are not happy with your date. If he (or she) is not the person you saw in the photo, rather leave and find somebody new.

ANSWERING MAILS

While there is no rule to compel you to respond to mail, it is common courtesy to do so. If you are not interested, then let the other party know. It can save you the trouble of receiving persistent mail. If someone is bothering you, you are able to block mail from that person.
Online dating provides a great way to meet new partners without having to frequent singles bars or clubs. Follow these few simple rules to ensure a happy and safe experience.

What kind of people use an online dating site?

Visions of all sorts of dangerous characters come to mind when pondering the using on line dating services to find your ideal partner. What about stalkers, weirdoes, scammers and midnight ramblers? And of course, how do you select the right online dating website?

If the truth be known, then the chances are that you will come across some undesirables. Just as you do in everyday life. Some strange characters. Those that are looking only for sex – and they make it obvious. Couples seeking new adventures. There are some are unpleasant. Some seem to have very little brain.

These can effectively be avoided. You can block anyone that you do not want to talk to and report those that are abusing the system.

But visit a dating site and you’ll find a lot of normal people of all ages, cultures, religions and nationalities.

When I was young (a very long time ago indeed!) a dating club was something that you kept very much to yourself. Not something that you advertised!

Today online dating has become mainstream. Dating sites are a prime way to meet others, and to some a way of life. Clubs and bars don’t work for everyone. Online dating opens a whole range of possibilities!

When playing in the online dating arena it is a good idea to follow a few simple rules. Before responding to someone, check out their profile. Don’t simply rely on a photograph. A 23 year old stunner looking for a man of 30 to 80 years could well be suspect. If a member’s profile has little or no information then treat it with caution. Use your common-sense on this platform to meet the right people! In general, don’t travel across continents or send money to cover air fares to meet your dream partner. Especially as it is someone that you know very little about!

With over half a million members worldwide, DatingBuzz is a great way to meet your ideal match. Just follow the link below!

Visions of all sorts of dangerous characters come to mind when pondering the using on line dating services to find your ideal partner. What about stalkers, weirdoes, scammers and midnight ramblers? And of course, how do you select the right online dating website?

If the truth be known, then the chances are that you will come across some undesirables. Just as you do in everyday life. Some strange characters. Those that are looking only for sex – and they make it obvious. Couples seeking new adventures. There are some are unpleasant. Some seem to have very little brain.

These can effectively be avoided. You can block anyone that you do not want to talk to and report those that are abusing the system.

But visit a dating site and you’ll find a lot of normal people of all ages, cultures, religions and nationalities.

When I was young (a very long time ago indeed!) a dating club was something that you kept very much to yourself. Not something that you advertised!

Today online dating has become mainstream. Dating sites are a prime way to meet others, and to some a way of life. Clubs and bars don’t work for everyone. Online dating opens a whole range of possibilities!

When playing in the online dating arena it is a good idea to follow a few simple rules. Before responding to someone, check out their profile. Don’t simply rely on a photograph. A 23 year old stunner looking for a man of 30 to 80 years could well be suspect. If a member’s profile has little or no information then treat it with caution. Use your common-sense on this platform to meet the right people! In general, don’t travel across continents or send money to cover air fares to meet your dream partner. Especially as it is someone that you know very little about!

With over half a million members worldwide, DatingBuzz is a great way to meet your ideal match. Just follow the link below!

Meet your ideal match at
DatingBuzz
- Free Membership, Free Matching, Free Photo Upload. Join today!

Could you meet your ideal match through on-line dating services?

Living in London in the early 70s, one friend always arrived at parties and other events with a different – and usually very attractive – date. Although perfectly presentable, he was neither particularly good-looking nor rich. What was his secret? The rest of us showed-up and hoped for the best. It was a long time before we discovered his closely guarded secret. He had been advertising in the personal columns of the Evening Standard – something that had never occurred to the rest of us. Today, the online dating industry has largely replaced the classified adverts and dating services of the past. Gone is the stigma. People that use online dating services are generally quite open about it.

Online dating services have grown rapidly over the last few years. Social networking sites such as Face Book and My Space are mainly geared for people to stay in touch. When it comes to meeting new partners online dating sites offer a specifically targeted service. Members of the sites range in age from eighteen to a hundred. They span every culture and religion.

At a recent wedding - of an attractive couple in their twenties - the groom spoke about how he and his bride had met through an Internet dating site called Dating Buzz! A middle-aged divorced friend and colleague met his second wife in the same way. The system works! He met a number of women through the sight and it wasn't long before he got hitched.


Meet your ideal match at
DatingBuzz
- Free Membership, Free Matching, Free Photo Upload. Join today!


Bars, clubs and social events do work for many, but not for everyone. Casting the net wider seems to be one of the answers. Some people are just not keen to spend their evenings in bars in the hope of meeting and clubs provide a poor meeting environment. Online dating is an alternative. Men and women looking to meet each other are there on a large scale – it really can open the doors! Dating Buzz is a South African company that has spread its wings and is now active in all four corners of the globe. Their membership grows daily, so there are literally thousands to choose from. Success stories abound.

"But what about the dangers?" I hear you say. "We hear about people misrepresenting themselves on the Internet all the time. Is it safe?"

The answer is that it is as safe as meeting through any venue. Follow a strategy that allows you to know as much about a person before taking the contact any further. The sites allow you to block anyone that you don't trust. Use it. Check the other person's profile. If it is empty ask why. If there are too many blanks, treat it with caution!

If you are looking to meet, why not give it a try? Click on the convenient link provided to the right. And please let us know if it works for you!

How to spot an online dating site scam

The online dating industry has become big business. A huge range of sites are available providing online dating services. These sites have become an acceptable and means for people to seek out their ideal match. But the industry is prone to abuse, and although the online dating companies do what they can to detect scammers in our midst, inevitably some fall through the net.

Online dating scammers are on the sites for one reason only. They are there to try to get your money. You will never meet them and once your money is gone there is very little hope of recovering it. Online dating scammers can operate from any country. Amongst the more common ones are those operating from Russia and Ghana.

They join the services and post a picture of a beautiful girl. The picture itself is almost too good to be true. The photographs look professional and the subject could well be a professional model. The word Love appears as part of the username.

The scammer claims to be looking for long term relationships and marriage. The ideal match requirements are typically left wide open - any age, any nationality and so on. She doesn't really care. She adds dozens of men on the site as favourites and waits for one of them to buy her a gift subscription. With a free subscription in her hand she then proceeds to send emotive messages to every man.

Many unsuspecting men respond - not only is she very beautiful, but she seems to be genuinely interested in meeting and furthering the relationship. She is prepared to travel from Russia or Ghana to meet - but has no money. She needs $10,000 to relocate and meet the victim.

There have been a number of cases where sums of money have been paid over to scammers. At this point all communication ends. The profile disappears from the site and all further attempts to make contact are in vain.

The best way to avoid a situation such as this is awareness. A profile with a stunning picture but very little in the way of information is cause for suspicion. Is a real woman likely to be happy with anyone from age 25 to 80? She has fallen in love with you after seeing your profile and would like to travel across the world to marry you. Take a reality check. She knows nothing about you or you about her. Can such a stunning woman really be so desperate? Be very suspicious is she asks for money. Genuine people don't do this except in very rare situations.

Remember that the wonderful woman that has attracted you and seems to be determined to join you as a life partner doesn't really exist. She is the creation of an organisation that makes its money from scamming. Once you have parted with your money she will disappear only to be replaced by another photographs and a brand new userid.

Be aware of the risks and avoid these scams.