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dating.com
Can the Internet make a match?
by Stefanie Graves
Last fall, Ryan, a Lawrence senior, did something he had never done before: he agreed to go to dinner with a woman he'd never met. Ryan was breaking the norm and using an Internet dating service to meet local singles his age.
He is not alone. The latest Nielson
NetRatings report estimates nearly 20 million people visited an online dating site just in the week of January 9, 2005, according to www. chiff.com, a Web site devoted to Internet dating statistics. With some dating sites boasting an average user age of 21, a record number of young adults are finding
interests, hobbies and the type of person he was looking for, he was able to search for women matching his profile selections.
INTERNET DATING SITES SPECIALIZING IN COLLEGE SINGES
friendship and love on the Web.
Within a few days, Ryan had been contacted (or "winked" at) by five women through his personal e-mail account.
→www.CollegeLux.com
→www.CollegeDate.com
→www.StudentDate.com
→www.CollegeFishing.com
→www.esinglemingle.com
Ryan says he decided to try a dating service because he was tired of meeting women at bars. "I was looking for a serious relationship and I wanted to meet someone who was looking for the same thing, but not drunk," he says.
The site Ryan chose, www.match.com, charged him a user fee of $15 for a one-month membership. After paying the fee and filling out a questionnaire that asked personal questions about
He soon began conversing with a woman named Crystal on a regular basis." We talked for a couple of weeks through instant messenger and e-mail," he says. Finally, they exchanged phone numbers and Ryan called to ask her on a date.
Although he was excited to meet Crystal in person, Ryan
suggested they meet in public at the restaurant. "She seemed nice, but I didn't really know her," he recalls.
Ryan's intuition was probably correct. Too often Internet users forget that going on a date with someone they've never met in person can be dangerous, warns Merav Knafo, founder of the college dating service www.CollegeFishing.com. Students think because they'll be in a public place or they've been talking to someone on
Knafo says Internet daters should never expose information that could help a stranger locate them, like a last name or the name of a dorm. Daters also should wait to reveal e-mail addresses and phone numbers until they feel safe. If you decide to meet someone in person, Knafo suggests that you tell a friend where you'll be and when they can expect you home.
the phone, they're safe.
"The week after their first meeting, Crystal called and asked Ryan on another date. The two went on several dates over the next two months, but Ryan felt that they didn't have a real connection." I was looking for more and I knew I wouldn't have it with her," he says.
Ryan says that Crystal didn't get the hint. She "called constantly and left phone messages, e-mails and instant messaged me." Over the next few weeks, Crystal left nearly 100 messages on his phone and through e-mails, he says.
While Internet dating may not be foolproof, some students do successfully start romantic relationships with someone they've met online. Christy, a Wamego sophomore in theatre design, met her former boyfriend on www.MySpace.com. When Christy put her profile and picture on MySpace last year,
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SCOTT KASERMAN
See for yourself.
Jayplay writer Stefanie Graves rates the date sites. Ratings out of four.
www.CollegeFishing.com
Usability: ***
Free, which is rare among Internet dating sites.
Fairly easy, but it took an hour to complete my profile information. Cost:****
Members:*
Um... a little scary. Most of the singles that matched my compatibility profile didn't have pictures posted (who wants to talk to someone they can't see?) Those who did have pictures posted were the type of guys I'd hate to meet in a dark alley, late at night. And there were only six members matching my profile who live within 50 miles of Lawrence.
Overall Rating: ***
Stay away, unless you're feeling extra brave.
www.eharmony.com
Usability:**
Cost:**
It took for-e-ver to register. Once you've registered, though, things go a little more smoothly.
You can post a profile for free,but the site makes you ante up before you can talk to any potential suitors.
Members: ***
Generally older and looking for serious commitments.
Overall Rating: **
It boasts that it has more marriages per match than any other dating site on the Web. If you want to find a spouse, like tomorrow, give it a try. Otherwise, steer clear.
www.match.com
Usability: ****
Easy. You can initiate a search without having to fill out a bunch of obligatory information and you can limit your search by age, distance, education or a number of other characteristics.
Cost: ***
The site offers a free 72-hour trial;
after that you have to fork over the cash.
Members: ****
Very impressive, but there weren't a lot of singles living close to Lawrence.
**Overall Rating:** ****
If you've got the cash, it's your best chance at finding someone you might actually like.
03.09.2006 JAYPLAY
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