Writing a personal ad and responding to one is something that only a handful of people did in an age when personals were strictly offline. You probably didn't even respond to one then. Nowadays, though, online dating is soaring as an industry, and almost everyone has responded to a personal ad via the internet, even if they've never taken the step to post one themselves. You may have responded to a few dozen and posted one or two yourself.

Single in the States Ain't What It Used to Be...

Being single is not what it used to be. Today a single person doesn't tend to go out to the local bar, club, or coffee shop in the hope of meeting a potential spouse or life-partner. For a number of reasons, this whole scenario works but rarely in modern American society. It's not fair to blame American women exactly, but they have, it seems, grown more reserved; reluctant to give the benefit of the doubt to men they meet who appear interested in a date.

Men are less inclined to find women in the conventional ways. How many women are you going to meet in a coffee shop; is it worth trying when you can meet literally millions of singles online and enjoy an even greater likelihood of establishing something meaningful?

Online Dating: Tips and Trends

The virtual world is expanding at a rate few predicted. Ok, maybe some people got it right. But did many think online dating would become such a hit?

It is a hit and it does work, particularly because we have little time for offline dating. Dating online gives us full control over the amount of time we spend on the initial process of interaction. As we enjoy something of a safety net being online, rather than being face to face with a relative stranger, we are also encouraged to communicate and interact more openly than we might in an offline environment.

Online you date at your own pace. You always have the option, what's more, to withdraw from a relationship if something goes wrong. You can be less preoccupied with the potential failure to do and say the right things. Some online dating environments also provide background information about dates, so you have some information to go on: what kind of person they are and what they're interested in. Yet more fears, about badmouthing "Lord of the Rings" to a die-hard fan, for example, are thus eradicated. You can enjoy drawing out communication; taking time to respond and get to know a potential date.

From casual dating to marriage-minded connections, there is a general shift setting a new trend in the online dating world. Online dating is being taken more seriously, as it should be; and the emphasis of online dating is changing. Before people tended to go online to find casual relationships or so called "intimate encounters". Now, more and more people are using the internet to find a soul mate or life partner; which, to some extent, explains the evolution of mail order brides and websites like Match.com, eHarmony.com, and Loversplanet.com.

Aging and the Internet

The age range of people using the internet has broadened. The older generations, say the 30 to 50 year olds, have gotten to grips with the basics that the current generation of 20-somethings picked up when they were kids. The 30 to 50 year olds are less interested in the casual relationship in general; veering towards long-term commitment and marriage, in tune with their instincts and social conditioning. As we grow older, online dating may become the only affective means for us to bond with others, and look to forming lasting relationships. Unless you want to be on your own, it's certainly advisable to get acquainted with online dating as soon as possible. The sooner you realize that the virtual world can work for you, the better.

It's a Jungle: What and Who Is Out There?

The internet is available everywhere: at home, in cafes, on airplanes; you name it. Approximately 1 billion people use the internet worldwide. For anyone venturing out into this virtual world that's grown up so suddenly, it's daunting to review the number of sites catering to the American singles. Some of the best, however, don't allow you to go far wrong. They include Loversplanet.com, Match.com, Yahoo! Personals, AmericanSingles.com and JDate (primarily Jewish). You can find some useful reviews of online dating websites in the following Forbes.com article: Forbes.com Best of the Web - Online Dating.

Another option is Craigslist's personal ad section (if you live in or near a major city) as people regularly post and it's free. If you haven't already come across the network www.craigslist.org is your first port of call; you can navigate the side bar to find your nearest city and most major US and European cities are listed and have their own branch (e.g. www.newyork.craigslist.com).

There are also vast numbers of specialist sites