A Word about Online Personals

You've heard about it. You've seen it in the movies. A lonely gal goes through the ups and downs of finding love on the internet. A lonely guy meets a girl online and they realize that even though they hate each other offline, their virtual lives are a different thing altogether (You've Got Mail).

Online dating and online personals are simply the consequence of this lovely thing we call the internet. The World Wide Web brings us humans closer together than ever before. With the explosion of email and instant messaging and Twitter and blogs, it's only natural that people would eventually use these tools to find true love in the online ether.

When online personals first made their way into market, many people thought it was a desperate attempt for the socially awkward, for the oddballs of society. Today, however, people have embraced online dating. It's no longer seen as abnormal or strange. In fact, many believe they'll be able to find their soul mate easier online rather than off.

The whole system is a work of genius. Charging a membership fee to allow singles to browse personal profiles is pure gold. Today the online personals industry is booming.

Online personals, like Match.com and relative newcomer Plenty of Fish have more members now than ever before. However, the internet dating phenomenon first became a hit around 2003-04. Monthly traffic hit 40 million in late August of 2003.

Those who aren't familiar with online personals are probably baffled as to its popularity. The mechanics of finding true love on the net may seem improbable. But it's really not. Online dating works much like social networking. You have a profile where you put down all your details. You add personal and physical characteristics such as height, hair color and weight, along with religious affiliation, race, profession, whether or not you smoke or drink, and other pertinent details. The profile also includes a write up of what you're looking for in a partner.

Users contact each other using on site private messaging. Most dating services allow uses to express emotions via virtual winks, hugs, kisses, etc. Users can then exchange email addresses and phone numbers once they feel ready.

Online daters are gung ho about the idea that they can find their soul mate online. It's much more precise than regular dating. Going to a bar, for instance, is basically like walking blindfolded into a minefield. It's hit or miss. Online, however, you can pick and choose; you narrow down the candidates and aim for the bull's eye.

And perhaps true love waits just beyond the flickering computer screen. That's the hope, after all.

Of course the online dating scene isn't without its pitfalls. Many people tend to fib. They exaggerate their physical characteristics. They put down phony birth dates, they lower their weight, they make themselves taller, blonder, tanner than they really are. Some people even post fake pictures.

Still, you can find romance if you look in the right places. It's easy to separate the bad eggs from the good ones and find your one true love.

With online personals on the rise, its a good idea for everyone to inform themselves with the industry prior to jumping in. Jayde Johanssen provides free online dating information to help everyone get started.. Check here for free reprint license: A Word about Online Personals.