Gordon Smith

Dating safety, dating cams, text alerts and more

Two things have cropped up this week that give a little insight into the mood on personal safety and online dating.

Dating safety mobile alerts

Firstly, we have seen the launch of a new service called daterProtection (http://www.daterprotection.com). Although obviously not fully formed and in a somewhat prelaunch state right now, the site is up and running and looking for new members. The idea is one that's been around for a while. It's a way to notify your friends that you're going on a blind date with somebody you met on the Internet - and let them know you got home safely afterwards. You can set up an online diary of dates, and when you've plugged in the names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers of a group of friends, the system will email and text your buddies when you leave for your date, and when you get back.

Times Square New York  webcam -
for dating safety

One question is whether your friends will appreciate having their emails and mobile numbers given to the site without their permission. Doing this without their blessing is a major modern etiquette blunder. Another question is how this is better than simply picking up the phone and telling a friend where you're going and when you're going to be back. Other similar systems have in the past allowed you to protect your own privacy by telling the system about your dates, not your friends. The majority of people going on blind dates don't want their friends to know about it, our web site surveys have found.

This new site prompted me to go and have a look at what happened to datesense, which was launched in 2004, and notified the police (not your friends - far more useful really) if the dater did not check back in to the site after 72 hours. Unfortunately it must have bombed, because the web site www.datesense.co.uk, together with the parent company www.viva-city.com web site, are all now defunct.

Dating web cams

Finally a new trend has emerged which thankfully doesn't rely on any new-fangled web sites, new technology, mobile phones, or subscription services. Blind daters who are seeing somebody new from the Internet for the first time, are arranging to meet them in public places where there are well-known webcams. The thinking is two-fold: firstly their friends or relatives can monitor their arrival and departure online, and get a good look at the date. Secondly, you can check out your new date from the comfort of a local Internet cafe as they arrive, and decide if you're going to go and meet them -- or make a quick exit! :-)

One of the most popular cams for dating is this one in Times Square New York:
http://www.camvista.com/usa/ec/newyork.php3