Online Dating - How to Make Safe Choices?

After the advent of the Internet, many regular dating agencies
were forced out of business. Up till the 1990s, anyone looking
for dating help had no other choice than to use the services of
a dating agency, however, these services were expensive and
frequently not very helpful. Many clients complained the
companies were more interested in making money than making
matches. Enter online dating.

Once computers became a household fixture, online dating took
off. Even people who shouldn't be looking were looking, causing
an entire host of relationship issues! The ease of uploading
photos and videos and filling out long unlimited profile
information became popular vehicles for the dating scene. As
technology continued to improve, video chatting and instant
messaging became almost standardized ways to get in touch with
people you were interested in. Some online services took even to
a very advanced level where they created a very sophisticated
matching system that can crawl thousands of profiles in the
database and cross reference similar interests and personal
preferences then recommend the best match, according to lots of
users this system really worked well for them to find the right
match, but there is not enough data about how the relationship
worked down the road.

There are safeguards to be aware of, however. Many of these
online services offer nothing more than a vehicle to post your
information and search through their database. No one gets
interviewed, no one is screened, and no one is verified.
Basically, if you can type and have a computer, you can put
anything you want into a profile, and we've all heard some
horror stories about major misrepresentations in photos, ages,
education, and everything else.

For anyone who is serious about meeting the perfect mate, or
even someone with whom to have a casual dating relationship, it
can be risky. Most people understand how important it is to be
honest in their own representations - for logical reasons - yet
it's astounding how many others don't believe the same. It's
frustrating, disheartening, and sometimes just plain scary when
the actual first date occurs only to find out you are with
someone who has lied through his or her teeth.

How long should you wait before you agree to meet? It depends on
your personal goals. Some people feel an immediate attraction
and can't wait to meet. This is no guarantee of a long term
relationship, but it frequently works out.

Others decide they want to rule out the losers right away and
after a week or two of online chatting or even video chatting
they decide they want to know more, or in other words, they want
to know the truth. Whether you are meeting after a week or after
three months, be on guard. There are some undesirables out
there, yet there are some incredibly wonderful people as well.

Of course, if one night stands are your thing, you're really
looking for an escort even if your goal is to actually attend a
play or dinner party. Even though the word "escort" might carry
some negative connotations, there are many decent escort
services out there that are on the up and up.