Online dating
What exactly is online dating? How does it work? Is it for you? We answer some frequently asked questions about online dating.
One of our successful couples
What is online dating?
Online dating has now been with us since about 1999, and it has come a long way.
It developed originally as an extension to the personal ads you might have seen
in newspapers, magazines through the sixties, seventies and eighties. When the
World Wide Web first arrived on the scene, it didn't take long for clever web
designers and business people to realise that this medium was perfectly suited
to bringing lonely hearts together in one place where they could meet other
single people in safety and anoymity.
All online dating sites are built around a few key features - your dating
profile, search and discovery, messaging, and anonymity. Let's look at each in
turn.
Your dating profile
Your dating profile is the questionnaire you fill in when you join any dating
site. This will typically ask you about your age, sex, children, physical
appearance and aspirations. The range and depth of questions asked can vary
between dating sites from a one-page form to many hundreds of detailed
questions, depending on the site. The questions are compiled into a page you can
call your own, which is known as your dating profile. This is your "you" on the
dating site and it's the hub of activity when meeting other singles for dating.
Search and discovery
All dating sites also have a search and discovery mechanism. This allows you to
enter your desired criteria in a potential partner, and find other members of
the site who fit. Again the features available can vary enormously from dating
site to dating site, with many sites offering a range of search and discovery
features from the basic to the highly complex. Another popular feature is the
ability to search for local dates using your post code or zip code. This way
those who want to find the perfect partner in their local area are catered for. Some
sites have a range of other discovery mechanism. For instance here at
DatingAgency.com we have our Conversations feature where members can mingle and
meet each other without the pressure of one-on-one contact.
Messaging
Messaging is a key feature of all online dating sites. It's how members can get
to know each other by sending private messages. It is similar to email, except
you can only send and receive to other members of the same site, and it does not
rely on an email address so your private email is kept separate from your dating
email. We recommend using messaging a lot to get know new people at your own
pace.
 Another of our success stories
Anonymity
Unlike the new social networks, where real names are usually used, online dating
relies on keeping you anonymous. This is because in online dating you are
meeting strangers, not friends, and this can of course carry risks. Online
dating sites use anonymity because it keeps you safer than using real names.
Members will be asked to give themselves a nickname by which they will be known
on the site. By using anonymous nicknames and private messaging members can get
to know one another without any of the inherent risks of going out to meet dates
in pubs or clubs.
It online dating for you?
If you are a single adult (online dating is not suitable for children) then
online dating is probably for you. If you consider your love life to be a
project that you are serious about, and want to meet the right person, and are
prepared to invest some time and effort in getting to know people then online
dating is definitely for you. It is especially suited to the divorced or
bereaved or older people who have moved to a new area and want to meet local
people. Finally take a look at our success stories if you
are not convinced if online dating works!
Next steps
 Feel free to join us,
if you haven't already!
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