Get the Lowdown on Dating Web Sites
March 6, 2007 — -- Are you still looking for love in all the wrong places, despite the many matchmaking Web sites out there?
It's often hard to know where to start and which dating sites are right for you. Celia Ellenberg of Jane magazine did some of the legwork for you by trying out nine popular online dating sites herself.
And if you feel like it's pathetic to look for love on the Internet, Ellenberg says get over it.
"There are plenty of great people out there," she said. "It's really a way to give yourself more options. I went from zero prospects to 50 in just two days, so if that's sad and pathetic, count me in."
Another bonus? You can sit in your pajamas in your apartment to look for prospective dates.
Ellenberg went on 11 dates. Here's what she found from several of the sites:
Match.com and eHarmony.com are two of the biggest, and Ellenberg said they are are the best for choice, variety and volume. They're nationwide, and everyone knows about them, so it's a good way to cast a wide net.
eHarmony.com: There's a big difference between eHarmony and other sites. On others, you look for people yourself. On eHarmony, the people at the site do the looking for you. The profile is exhaustive, and the site asks all kinds of questions to determine your personality and help you find your perfect love match.
There's no browsing, and you can't see photos ahead of time. This is the site if you want other people to do the legwork, but you have to trust them. Ellenberg found that the eHarmony profiling was pretty accurate. If you are thorough, and you like to know the person very well before you go out, this is the place to start.
Joining eHarmony costs about $60 because of the in-depth profile, then a monthly charge of about $50, depending on the plan you select.
