A Net dating service, also known as online dating or internet dating, is an example of a dating system and allows individuals, couples and groups to meet online and possibly develop a romantic or sexual relationship. Net dating services provide un-moderated matchmaking through the use of personal computers, the Internet, or even cell phones. Such services generally allow people to provide personal information, then search for other individuals using criteria such as age range, gender and location. Most sites allow members to upload photos of themselves and browse the photos of others. Sites may offer additional services, such as webcasts, online chat, and message boards. Sites sometimes allow people to register for free but may offer services which require a monthly fee. Many sites are broad-based, with members from a variety of backgrounds looking for different types of relationships. Other sites are more specific, based on the type of members, interests, location, or relationship desired. Contents 1 Trends 2 Problems with Online Dating Services 3 Pop culture 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Trends U.S. residents spent $469.5 million on online dating and personals in 2004, the largest segment of “paid content” on the web, according to a study conducted by the Online Publishers Association (OPA) and comScore Networks. At the end of November 2004, there were 844 lifestyle and dating sites, a 38 percent increase since the start of the year, according to Hitwise Inc. However, market share was increasingly being dominated by several large services, including Yahoo Personals, Match.com, American Singles, and eHarmony. eHarmony CEO Greg Forgatch noted that despite the growing number of sites catering to specific niches "to become a major player, it still takes a large number of people." In 2002, a Wired magazine article forecast that, "Twenty years from now, the idea that someone looking for love without looking for it online will be silly, akin to skipping the card catalog to instead wander the stacks because 'the right books are found only by accident.' ...serendipity is the hallmark of inefficient markets, and the marketplace of love, like it or not, is becoming more efficient"[1]. The online dating trend has also become very successful in Europe in the past decade. Not only has match.com opened local branches in European countries to cater to their particular culture and language, but also a French company, Meetic, has become one of the top sites. Their success has encouraged new start-ups and niche sites to come on board. Problems with Online Dating Services There can be a variety of problems with online dating sites. Some sites expect members to sign up "blind", with no preview of the type of profiles they will get to see. Some profiles are not actually real people, but "bait" put there by the site owners to attract new members. Some users spam sites with "fake" profiles that are in reality advertisements to other services, such as prostitution or multi-level marketing scams. A majority of dating sites keep profiles online for months or even years after the person has left the service, thereby making it seem as though they have more available members than they actually do. Most sites have significantly more male members than women, a fact that is not mentioned to men when they sign up. Even when members' profiles are "real", there is still an inherent lack of trust with other members. Many members misrepresent themselves by telling flattering 'white lies' about their height, weight and age, or using old or misleading photos. Members can, of course, ask for an up-to-date photograph before meeting others. Some sites have been known to continue to charge a credit card for a considerable time after the member asks them to cancel the service. There are still, however, a few worthwhile free dating sites that allow users to reply to messages. Plentyoffish, OKCupid, and Matchdoctor are such services in the U.S.A. Check the trusted Alexa.com rank for larger dating sites. If the rank if lower than 100,000, it's unlikely they will have enough user activity to warrant and justify joining the service as a paying user, unless it's a niche site. Niche sites cater to people with special interests (e.g. sports fans, nerds), professions, conditions (e.g. HIV+, obese), religions (e.g. Jewish), or intelligence levels (ex. iQcuties). Matrimonials Sites are a variant of online dating sites, and these are geared towards meeting people for the purpose of getting married. Gross misrepresentation is less likely on these sites than on 'casual dating' sites. Casual dating sites are often geared more towards short term (and implicitly sexual) relationships. Pop culture You've Got Mail a film in which the two main characters conduct a relationship entirely over e-mail before meeting each other. Must Love Dogs, a 2005 film about two people trying to find love through online dating. Napoleon Dynamite, a film which pokes fun at the concept by having a character obsessed with meeting women online. See also List of social networking websites Matrimonials Sites References Flass, Rebecca, Bloom off the rose: online dating services struggle to keep market share, Los Angeles Business Journal, Dec. 13, 2004. Griscom, Rufus: Why are Online Personals So Hot?: Maybe it’s the lingerie models trolling for dates, Wired, Nov. 2002. Orr, Andrea, Meeting, Mating, and Cheating: Sex, Love, and the New World of Online Dating ISBN 0131418084. Sanders, Kim, Collaboradate Launches Free Access to All Online Dating Websites , Prweb.com, Feb. 14, 2006. External links Date Like an Economist Yale Economic Review article on Adverse Selection in the Dating 'Market' Online dating and personals sites at the Open Directory Project Love on the web BBC Money Programme. 2 February 2006 Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_dating_service" Categories: Intimate relationships | Online dating