Online dating is booming. At Online Dating Magazine, researchers there estimate that in a single year, about 120,000 people are married as a result of meeting online, through an online dating service. And worldwide, more than 20 million people visit at least one online dating service each month.
Online Dating: Questions to Ask
There are hundreds of questions to ask when meeting a complete stranger online, and singles should feel free to ask them all. However, treat the online dating forum like meeting someone in person. Remember that there is a natural order to questions and answers. Get the basic questions out first and after chatting a few times, begin to delve into deeper, more personal questions.
When chatting in an online dating forum, both singles have likely read each other's profiles and have a basic idea about what the other person looks like, along with some knowledge of the other person's interests and hobbies. Here are a couple of things to ask early in the discussion to quickly determine if this match has potential.
- Employment – Watch out for singles who offer vague answers about employment status. Many singles find job security is an important element of deciding whether or not to pursue a relationship. This is not to say that people are looking for mates based solely on big paychecks; but knowing someone has been fired might affect how they view their potential match.
- Living Arrangements – Ask whether or not the other person has kids. Ask if he travels a lot for work or leisure. Ask about what type of home he has and with whom he shares this home. This includes children, siblings, parents and even pets.
Mainstream dating websites offer different options for narrowing the search for the perfect match. These include things like the geographical location of the matches and the expectations for the relationship, in terms of things like length and level of commitment.
There is a trend towards creating highly specialized dating websites. Such websites are developed for singles seeking a race, age, profession or religion match.
Internet Dating – Assessing Compatibility
Some people have difficulty finding someone who is compatible in multiple areas of their lives. When choosing a dating website, find an established dating service with a proven track record of finding great matches. It will have a more in-depth process for determining compatibility, and this will help to improve the results.
Dating requires singles to follow their gut instincts and to learn to read between the lines. Often people do not turn out to be anything like the descriptions on their profile. From the start, consider things like spelling and diction, style of dress and level of expertise on supposed interests or hobbies. If things do not seem to be adding up, it is best to move on.
Safety Tips for Online Dating: Meeting in Person
Those who are meeting their online dates for the first time need to take certain sensible precautions.
- Meet in a public place for the first date. If preferred, meet in a public place for the second and third dates as well.
- Ask to see several photos before meeting anyone.
- Tell a friend about the planned meeting or date. Make a plan to call the friend after the date, or have the friend call during the date, to be sure everything is working out as expected.
Online Dating Advice for Beginners
While safety is the number one concern, there are a few more things that novices need to consider. For example, do not be disappointed if the first few matches do not work out, or if it takes a few months to find anyone at all. Also, sometimes people are uncomfortable with talking about themselves. But in order to make a connection, it is important to share opinions, ideas and aspirations.
Marie MacDonald - Marie MacDonald is based in London, UK. She joined Suite101 in January, 2010.
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