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 How
to find a good dating site
by Leif Croonquist
Seems like everywhere we surf on the Internet nowadays we run
across this little advertisement: 'Free online personals'. They
are everywhere, they are dating sites, and more are opening
up shop every day. Welcome to the newest internet gold rush.
More and more people are signing up to these new and "free"
dating sites. What they are really getting is a place on the
web where they can post their profile and let strangers contact
them. As more and more dating sites pile up on the web, more
people are ending up with very distasteful experiences because
of this. Why? 99% of today's (and tomorrow's) dating sites do
not screen their members at all. This means there are sex offenders,
predators, scam artists mixed in with genuine people who are
looking to find a match. Dating services need to be very discretionary
and much safer, until that time comes here are some important
things to consider when thinking about joining a dating site.
1). Examine the site's physical properties. Is it poorly constructed
with missing graphics or jagged fonts, mis-aligned sections?
If so, this indicates a lack of attention to detail in the construction
and layout of the site. It may have been pre purchased and the
owner does not have the skill to alter it correctly. Why would
you care? Well, a site in a state like this gives a clue that
the back end program probably is also in a state of disarray
or disregard. If the webmaster cannot construct the face of
the site, then it is likely they cannot also construct important
safety features behind the site. A hacker then could easily
penetrate it and get your personal information including your
photo. If you eventually pay this site, your credit information
could be stolen as well! A nicely designed site means careful
construction and a better chance of good quality code running
the site in the background.
FRIENDSATION
is a brand new dating site and social blogging network for people
who are looking for a free online dating, match dating, dating
personal, internet dating, adult dating, and many more!
2). Look at some sample profiles on the site before you sign
up by running a quick search. Do the profiles look a little
bogus? A lot of them are. Many sites (especially new ones that
have just started up) pad their membership database with photos
of models or random (usually good-looking people) to attract
new members. Do the profiles have a lot of jibberish characters
or nonsensical phrases in the descriptions? That means the dating
site you are at does NOT screen the people who sign up. This
welcomes people with ill-intent. You should get out of there
immediately and go to one that does.
3). Does the site have a privacy link? Look at the bottom of
the site's main page. If they have a privacy link, click it
and examine. Make sure they specifically state that they do
NOT sell your information to anyone. This is an invitation to
a spam and junk-mail nightmare. Also look for some sort of a
web site rules page or a terms of use page. Check to see if
they screen their profiles or somehow disallow racial, hate
or overly sexual material. If they don't state this than, anything
goes for this site, another reason to leave.
4). Does the site have a links page? If so click and examine.
See who they are affiliated with. Usually, there will be graphical
banners or icons next to the names of their associations. Are
they sex-sites? Spam sites? Even a quick glance in this area
could tell you what kind of a dating site you are at.
5). What is the copyright date at the bottom? This could indicate
the age of the site. If it is very young, this could help you
determine if the site has worked out all the kinks (program
bugs) and how many members they have accumulated.
6). Be wary of statements like "You are the 4697th member
to join today." and "Search through millions of profiles."
these statements are usually false. Major sites, which have
been running for YEARS usually can support these statements.
look for a "whos online" link. If you are the only
person (1 guest online means JUST you are there) then you know
these claims are false. A site with millions or even thousands
of members will always have a bunch of people currently online.
If you detect this in a dating site, it is better to leave than
to take a chance with a dishonest site. This is just a short
list of ideas to help keep you safe when dating online. Be leary,
be safe. More information can be found at www.cupidsblackbook.com
.
About the Author
Leif Croonquist writes for www.cupidsblackbook.com . He is 34
and lives in Portland, Oregon. |
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