Online Dating Peer Review
CNN.com has an interesting article that talks about the "dark side" of Internet Dating, the side that most people don't want to talk about and site management want to keep you from hearing.
As the article notes:
While the Internet has arguably increased the chances of meeting potential mates, it carries its own share of heartbreak and growing complaints about false profiles, bad behavior and ill-suited matches.
A number of online daters and Internet sites are taking matters into their own hands, critiquing these services and warning their peers of the pitfalls of Web hook-ups.
The article identifies several sites that can assist in the selection process:
- http://www.dateseeker.net
- http://www.datingsitesreviews.com
- http://datingreviewsonline.com
- http://www.edatereview.com
Two of the primary complaints I have see voiced by users of online dating sites have been related to:
Honesty - The nature of the virtual, asynchronous relationships forged early on with online dating sites provides far too many opportunities for dishonesty. From misrepresentations of relationship status, to fictitious or outdated photographs, to outright falsifications in online profile data, the road is certainly perilous.
Chemistry - No matter how many e-mails people exchange, or the quality of the streaming video chats, the chemistry that exists between two people is hard to ignore and impossible to replace (despite what eHarmony might think)
There have been many efforts, both social and technological, implemented to thwart these forces, however, I wonder how effective they will be. On the one hand, they can be overcome, but it will require tremendous effort and third parties to remedy. On the other hand, going through that much effort might be just enough weight to collapse the entire enterprise.
What happened to just going out and meeting your soul mate, anyway?