Online Dating Services Offer Surprises

N E W   Y O R K, July 12 -- Jeffrey Horowitz, a 35-year-old attorney from Washington, D.C., thought anyone who joined an online dating service must be desperate and lacking the social skills it takes to meet someone “offline.”

But the lawyer and personal trainer kept hearing from friends that they were having somewhat pleasant experiences on dates arranged by these electronic matchmakers, a rather startling phenomenon given that dating can be grueling.

So Horowitz decided to check out Jdate.com, a Matchnet.com service geared to Jewish singles, where members fill out approximately 25 questions about their personality and their likes and dislikes, with subjects ranging from food preferences to favorite activities. Members also write statements about what they are looking for and things learned from past relationships.

“The women’s profiles seemed nice,” says Horowitz, who is seeking a relationship with a Jewish woman. “I was surprised. They were like me, educated.”

Horowitz’s trepidation and surprise is typical regarding either online dating services or personal ads. Although online romantic liaisons have been stigmatized due to highly publicized stories of seedy sexual relations between participants, hundreds of thousands of Americans nevertheless are taking their chance on love with these Web sites every day.

Looking for Love

Web analysts do not predict online dating services will become a major piece of the growing Internet economy. Still, between hard working single people having less time to meet each other and the divorce rate hovering at 50 percent, online service executives say they expect continued revenue. Stories of relationships and even marriage thanks to these Internet cupids keep hope alive for the unattached. (See sidebar for success story.)

Online dating options are varied. They range from services that connect people based upon similarities in questions they answered on a questionnaire, like what Match.com offers, to personal ads, where people write 50 to 100 words about themselves. Some services have software that will match prospective partners based on similar interests. Photographs often, but do not always, accompany, both types of offerings. The services charge a monthly fee of approximately $14.95 to $19.95.