How to find a good 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 .