Find Love on the Internet: A Guide to Online Dating
By Distributel
Online dating sites and apps have become an incredibly popular way to meet new people, and perhaps, if you’re lucky, meet ‘the one’.
Meeting new people has traditionally meant attending social events or leveraging your network of family and friends. Success depended heavily on your being at the right place at the right time. Speed dating has gained steam as another option for those looking to expedite the introduction and decision-making process, though these mini- dates can feel more like a job interview and may not give you enough time to establish a real connection.
So, why restrict yourself to the local dating scene when there is whole world out there, right? Women seeking men, men seeking women, men seeking men, women seeking women – it’s all happening online, in a virtual world that matches traits and preferences. For those of you thinking about giving it a try, here’s a look some of the most popular means of finding that special someone online.
Online Dating Sites
Dating sites cover all kinds of niches and preferences. You have probably heard about the most popular in this space, including Match, eHarmony, Plenty Of Fish and Zoosk. There are also specialty sites such as BlackPeopleMeet, JDate for Jewish singles and OurTime for those over 50.
The best dating sites take the time to collect rich information about you to build your profile and find the best match. There are also free dating site options such as Mingle2 and DateHookup.
Apps
While most online dating sites also have date apps, there are several companies that got their start via app alone and are built around a strong mobile experience.
Many of the date apps are geared towards a younger crowd. Perhaps the most notable are Tinder and Grindr (for gay singles). Tinder is probably most well-known for being the source of two phrases that have become part of our modern lexicon: swipe right (which is done when you are interested in a profile) and swipe left (when not interested). The Tinder dating experience takes some practice and you might benefit from following a couple of rules to make sure everything goes smoothly.
The newest dating app on the scene is called Hater, which takes the unique approach of matching people according to their dislikes versus their interests. If you’ve been longing to find that special someone who dislikes Crocs as much as you do – now there’s an app for that.
Social Media
Facebook has become a go-to site for many people looking to reconnect with a long-lost love, a former high school or college love or ‘the one that got away’.
If you looked and can’t find the person you are looking for on Facebook, you can use a service like OmniTrace to help you track them down.
Online Communities
Online communities provide rich opportunities to find like-minded people and perhaps, romance. A good place to start is to find online forums where people are talking about things you’re in to. You should also explore Google+ communities, Reddit, Meetup.com and Smeet.com– all of these feature romance-related discussion groups.
Having a Positive Online Dating Experience
Striking up a friendship or seeking out a relationship online can be a great experience. Whichever way you choose to find it, you’ll be even more confident after doing your due diligence. Cat-fishing, in which an unsuspecting person is lured into a connection with a false persona, can be avoided if you ask the right questions early in the relationship.
Online Success Stories
Looking for inspiration? The Internet contains some warm and lovely online dating success stories.
We love this story about the couple who met via Craigslist (usually known for its classified ads). Another great one is the story of two high school pen pals who were matched on the dating site OKCupid and are now married – aaaaawwwwww.
How about three couples who met while playing the online game World of Warcraft?
Online dating can be an exhilarating, romantic and wildly wonderful ride – you’ll need a great High Speed Internet service to be your wingman. Finding the right High Speed Internet provider is like dating, in the sense that you want to find something that can grow and adapt to your needs as they change. Only Distributel offers personalized High Speed Internet connectivity options that are just for you. Call us at 1-877-810-2877 today and find out how we can be your perfect High Speed Internet match.