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Frequently Asked Questions About Online Dating
Help and support at WhichDatingSite.com
Here are the most common FAQs we normally receive with their answers. However,
if you have a query that is not dealt with in this section, you can always
contact us and we will get to you as soon as possible.
DATING OVER THE INTERNET
ABOUT WHICHDATINGSITE.COM
WHICHDATINGSITE GENERAL
GLOSSARY
DATING OVER THE INTERNET
Why should I join a dating agency over the Internet?
There are, believe it or not, millions of people looking for relationships
over the Internet, and if you think about it, it is one of the safest ways
to go about meeting people. And these people lead normal lives just like
you. So there must be a reason - or more than one, why people are
doing it. For starters it's cheap. Online dating agencies are much
more affordable than normal dating agencies, plus they are definitely cheaper
than spending money on several unsuccessful dates, unnecessary phone calls,
etc. etc. (Picture the scenario: remember when you spent a fortune on that
dinner at your favorite restaurant - she didn't even touch her
food, and what was worse, she smoked like a chimney! Or: when a friend set
you up with a work friend who lived way out of town - you only went for
a drink, but the taxi fare and the drinks bill were the worst $30 you had
ever spent. All this sound familiar??) Anyway, coming back to the subject,
free membership and low subscription fees basically mean that more people
join, giving you more choice and variety when you are looking for your match,
and thus increasing the possibilities of finding that special some one.
(Also, most importantly, the majority of dating sites offer subscription
packages that are tailored to your budget so there is no excuse!)
Number two, using this service over the Internet is practical; it can be
done any time of day from any computer, at your convenience, and in the
privacy of your home. It is also a process that can save you valuable time
and effort. You don't need to especially go out on a Friday night with the
goal of meeting someone when you'd rather stay at home and relax.
Another good reason (but definitely not the last - there are so many that
we don't want to bore you) is that the Internet brings people from all walks
of life together, wherever they are from, whatever they do. You would meet
people who you'd not normally come across in your day to day life. You may
not hear the wedding bells, but you'll end up making a lot of good friends.
And, you never know, if you are looking for a match, this person may be
the one who will meet and even exceed your expectations.
Is online dating safe?
Just as safe as it is meeting someone in a bar or out in the streets. Sad
but true, the world is full of strange people, but the chances of you meeting
them online are just as likely as you meeting them offline. The advantage
of meeting on the Internet is that you can liaise online for as long as
you like, until you feel safe meeting in person, which of course has to
be in a public place. When communicating on the Internet you don't need
to give out personal details, such as telephone numbers and full names,
(which is not even recommended until you know that the person you're chatting
with is not a psychopath or an underage teenager!), as you would have to
if meeting in real person. Of course, due to the nature of the Internet,
dating in this medium may encourage liars and players to fool around, but
we ask you here, as you would in everyday life situations, to use your gut
feeling and common sense. Online dating sites recognise the safety issue
of meeting people online and many of our selected sites do have a section
with advice on safety when dating online and also meeting offline. Most
online dating sites also provide added safety measures that discourage any
kind of threat posed to users' security, such as a message filter option,
staff-help to deal with online abuse, and so on.
Can I try the dating site out first without having to register?
We understand that this can be frustrating for you, but registering with
the dating site before seeing what they have to offer is the norm with many
reputable online sites. Besides, it's a good way to deter those who are
fooling around and are not serious about using their services. Most online
dating services have "tours", where you are given a quick preview of their
site and may be helpful in giving you a few ideas before making a decision.
Others allow you a quick search so that you get an insight of their community
members. Nevertheless, registration in most cases only takes a couple of
minutes, and it's free, so you have nothing to lose. This way you can really
see how the site works and what it has to offer, and if you're convinced,
you can then start subscribing. As far as the rest is concerned, that is
why we are here, as our main goal is to provide you a shortcut into filtering
all the information, giving you the ins and outs of it all. Prior
to registering with a website, we encourage you to read the site's official
privacy policy.
ABOUT WHICHDATINGSITE.COM
What exactly is WhichDatingSite.com?
WhichDatingSite.com is an online directory to the best online dating services
for those seeking long-term & short-term relationships, romance, dating
partners, activity partners, or even someone for general companionship.
We provide reviews and links to a selected group of dating agencies (called
our Selected Sites). Our goal is to provide you with the best, safest, most
reliable online dating agencies so that you enjoy a safe, simple relationship-finding
experience.
Why the name WhichDatingSite?
When people are looking for a particular service, they pose the question
with the word which in it. For instance: At which dating agency can I find
a potential husband from Germany ? Which dating site can I subscribe to
by paying with check and not credit card? Which dating site is aimed towards
the Senior community? WhichDatingSite.com is basically a shortened
version of such questions. And, throughout the site, we provide the answers.
We think it makes us pretty unique. Not many websites pose their name in
a question form and answer the question right within the site. In
July 2001 and subsequently in August 2002, we launched similar projects,
WhichDrugstore.com and WhichPetstore.com. And, in the future, we shall research
and coordinate more Which websites.
Are you owned or operated by a dating agency?
We are neither owned nor operated by a dating agency or any business related
to the online personals services. We are operated, maintained, and managed
by the e-Services division of Anakena.com,
a leading provider of e-Healthcare and e-Services. Whichdatingsite.com operates
independently from the online personals and dating services listed in our
directory.
Do you offer matchmaking services?
Whichdatingsite.com does not offer matchmaking services. We are an online
directory (guide) of the best online dating sites and personals services.
We ourselves are not a dating site.
WHICHDATINGSITE.COM GENERAL
How do you choose your selected sites?
The terms "Select Site" and "Selected Site" refer to
the final selection of online dating sites and personals services that are
listed in WhichDatingSite.com. The criteria we use to determine our Selected
Sites are: originality, website navigation, quality and the range of options
available to members. Using these criteria as a basis, we will continue
to research online dating sites and personals services to ensure that our
Select Sites consist of only the best.
Is it secure to purchase over the Internet?
We understand your concerns regarding your security when purchasing membership
online. This feeling is only natural. And, truth be told, there are both
secure and insecure sites out there. For this reason, secure ordering
is one of the criteria in determining our Selected Sites. The online dating
sites included in our directory utilize the latest encryption software -
an industry standard secure sockets layer (SLL) technology and 128-bit security
encryption. Such technology prohibits the interception and decoding of information
sent during online transactions. Please read the detailed security
policies of our Selected Sites to calm even further your fears of purchasing
online. For your safety, we recommend that any online purchases outside
of our Selected Sites be done only at reputable sites with the latest encryption
software. One final note - E-mail is not encrypted and therefore,
is not considered a secure means of transmitting credit card numbers. This
means that purchasing online is, in fact, a more secure means of purchasing
than via your personal e-mail!
How can I contact you?
Our contact information is detailed in contact
us. We are anxious to hear your thoughts, questions, comments, and feedback.
We are striving to be your best resource for the online search of your match.
Your feedback may help us improve our site and services.
What is your privacy policy?
As we are eager for you to return to our site, WhichDatingSite.com will
respect your rights to privacy. Any information submitted to us will be
held in the strictest of confidence; we guarantee that we will not release,
sell, or lend your information to any other party. We, cannot, however,
be held responsible for the privacy policies of other sites connected to
our site, nor will our policy apply to other sites. Please read our detailed
privacy policy for a better understanding
of our guarantee to protect your privacy.
GLOSSARY
Here we've included a list of terms that we think may
benefit our visitors to WhichDatingSite.com, especially for those new to
online dating.
How to find your match
What are the differences between Quick Search, Advanced Search, and Search
by Location?
WhichDatingSite.com has categorized the different search options offered
by the Selected Sites into these 3 searches:
Quick Search - This is a simple, basic search, where you enter few,
limited amount of details in finding your match (for example sex, age range
and location only), giving you more results to browse.
Advanced Search - This search allows you to enter more details of
what you are looking for, limiting the number of match results. (For example:
you can search for your match by religion, ethnicity, by their interests,
etc.) The advantage of this is that you can find someone exactly to your
liking, but sometimes it can be too limiting and may even give you no match
results.
Search by Location - Here you can look for someone from the same
neighborhood, or from across the continent. The world is at your fingertips.
What is the ...
Photo Gallery?
Exactly what it means - here you can see members' photos without having
to read their profile.
"Smart" matching feature?
This is a term we have devised, used to describe a compatibility grading
offered by some of the selected online dating sites. This tells you how
much someone matches you (either according to the criteria you have entered
in your profile, or according to your search settings).
Automatic matching?
Automatic matching ("auto-matching" or "two-way matching", as it is known
by other online dating sites) allows the online dating site to select your
matches. This search is based on your profile information (or on your "automatic
match" settings), in order to find people you like who are looking for people
like you.
Matching email alert?
This option means that the online dating site immediately notifies you by
email when another member has sent you a message, or when a new match has
been found. This saves you the hassle of always having to go through the
web site everyday to check your mail box and neither do you have to constantly
carry out new searches.
Last activity of member displayed?
The great advantage of this is that you can see if this person is an active
member or not, and you get an idea of the site's current activity level.
Online presence indicator?
This is brilliant for when you see the person you fancy online, as it gives
a great opportunity to get in touch and start communication by chatting
with him / her, or sending an instant message.
How to get in touch
What's the difference between Email and Anonymous email?
Our Selected Sites respect your privacy and will
keep your actual email address confidential. With Anonymous email other
members will never see your own email address or your real name displayed
at the online dating site, and all written communication from them will
be directed to your registered username mailbox at the dating site. The
online site's double-blind e-mail system will forward the messages to your
registered email address, or notify you of received messages. Very few online
dating sites offer you the opportunity to give your own email address (mainly
for security / privacy reasons).
What does Voice Communication mean?
This is basically being able to talk to other
members, by adding a voice introduction to your profile, or leaving a message
for members to hear. Some of our Selected Sites offer services where you
can simply talk on the phone (in this case, only if the online dating site
provides phone numbers), in the chat rooms or via video chat.
What's Photo messaging?
Photo messaging is done via the instant messenger,
so that you can see the face of the person you are chatting with. With this
option, you also can send other members any of your pictures at your discretion
with the Messenger Service - please refer to appropriate web site for questions
concerning this feature.
What is a Virtual Kiss?
This term is used by us in the website features
in How to Get in Touch as a general way to describe what the online
dating site has to offer if you want to send a member a subtle message implying
that you are interested in them. These options are normally free (please
consult the online dating site for further details). An online site may
offer the option to send a virtual kiss, a wink or a tease (pick up line).
Registration Procedure
What do you mean by ...
Tips and Examples?
It's always the hard part when you have to write
about yourself, and in a few words try and get your true character across
and catch the interest of those who may read your profile. However, some
sites facilitate this procedure for you, by giving examples or guidelines
of what you could mention in "Describe yourself".
Send photos by mail or email?
If you want to post a photo with your profile
and you don't have a scanner at home or are unable to upload a photo, some
of our Selected Sites offer a service where you can send the photos by post
or email to have them uploaded and posted with your profile. Most sites
do not charge for this service and a few even return your photos, but for
further details please visit the site concerned.
Additional Services
What is ...
Live customer rep.?
This is a phone line offered by the site to deal
with any online problems. Depending on the service, lines are open usually
Monday to Friday 9 -5, some sites do have 24hr service.
Automatic renewal?
If you decide to subscribe to an online agency
and are paying by credit card, many sites will automatically renew your
subscription once the initial time period is up. Please read the site's
billing policy for further information.
Money back guarantee?
Believe it or not, some sites to offer a full
refund if you are not satisfied with the service. Again, we ask you to refer
to the site's payment policy.
Blocking options?
Let's face it, sometimes some people really do
not get the message. This feature allows you to stop receiving any unwanted
messages from members that you are really not interested in. Some sites
also use the term "filter".
Hide profile option?
This is another brilliant feature which in most
sites you can easily activate and deactivate according to your needs. You
may want to have your profile stored in the site's database but not want
it to be seen by others, or have it seen by subscribed members only, and
it's also good for when you're temporarily unavailable.
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