klub46

Finding a Safe Dating Site


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.

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 .

Leif Croonquist is a 34 year old writer from Portland, Oregon. He is a member of www.cupidsblackbook.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Digital Spy

Chad OchoCinco Johnson's New VH1 Reality Dating Show: The...
MemphisRap.com
Johnson's most recent project he is working on is a dating reality show starring, well, him of course. He would not have it any other way. ...
Chad Ochocinco to star in reality dating showESPN
NFL Player Chad Ochocinco Lands Dating Show With VH1BallerStatus.com
Chad Ochocinco to star in VH1 dating reality show called 'The Tournament'Chicago Sun-Times (blog)
The Live Feed -Access Hollywood -WLWT Cincinnati
all 78 news articles »



Daisy De La Hoya On Dating Corey Haim: I Would Have Liked 'A Happy Ending'
Access Hollywood
Former VH1 dating reality star Daisy de la Hoya has opened up about the death of Corey Haim, whom she had been seeing romantically at the time of his death ...
Corey Haim Began Dating VH1 Reality Star Shortly Before DeathE! Online (blog)
Daisy De La Hoya Dating Corey Haim When He DiedZimbio
Haim Dating Reality Star Before His Death?Hollywood.com
Hot Momma Celebrity Gossip (blog) -About - News & Issues (blog) -Digital Spy
all 25 news articles »


Online Dating as Honest as Real Life
U.S. News & World Report
"The concerns people have when dating online are very similar to the ones they have in their face-to-face lives. And we found that dating behavior is very ...
Online Dating Truth RevealedMedIndia
Cyber dating unveilediAfrica.com

all 18 news articles »


MTV.com

Kristen Stewart Dating Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson? (Video)
Gather.com
Well, we all know that twilight co-stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have been dating. Now it seems that Kristen is also dating Taylor Lautner. ...
Robert Pattinson Kristen Stewart Dating today night?Nikosam
Is Robert Pattinson Kristen stewart dating?New Movies List (blog)
Taylor Lautner Kristen Stewart dating or friends?Gather.com
Gather.com
all 488 news articles »


ABC News

Jessica Simpson: Two years is my dating limit!
New York Post (blog)
Sexual napalm was on "The Late Show with David Letterman" last night and he went after her like a therapist trying to push their client over the edge. ...
More on Us:Us Magazine
Corgan takes aim at MayerCANOE

all 288 news articles »



Black Americans Are One of the Fastest-Growing Segments in Online Dating ...
MarketWatch (press release)
HOLLYWOOD, Mar 10, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Is online dating capable of doing great things for the Black community? Consider: Gallup reports that half of all ...

and more »


The Guardian (blog)

Corey Feldman, Agent Don't Believe Corey Haim Died Of Drug Overdose
MTV.com
Actor was reportedly dating 'Daisy of Love' star Daisy de la Hoya at time of his death. By Gil Kaufman Mark Heaslip told TMZ that Haim had a fever and was ...
A Look Back At The Ladies Who Loved Corey HaimHollywood Life (blog)
Corey Haim Victoria Beckham's former 'lover' dead after overdoseMetro

all 3,124 news articles »


Here's to more speed-dating versions of 'American Idol'
Seattle Times
It's freak-out time on the "American Idol" stage, and not just for the contestants who can now smell the top 12. Idol has to cram all eight singers into one ...

and more »

Google News

home | Clicky Web Analytics Clicky
© 2006