Connor Photography wrote:
I guess most of the members were fabricated by the host company.   That is why.  Your email goes not where.

A lot of people say that about Match, but it isn't true.  Match is not going to take the time to fabricate tens of thousands of fake profiles.  What Match does do is to offer free memberships that last very short periods of time, like a weekend.  People create a profile and then let the membership expire.  You can't really tell if you are writing a non-paying profile that can't answer. 

Free sites like POF and OKC are a better choice.

MN Photography wrote:

Match is not going to take the time to fabricate tens of thousands of fake profiles.  .

I imagine it wouldn't take much to have a computer auto generate these 24/7 ?

MN Photography wrote:

A lot of people say that about Match, but it isn't true.  Match is not going to take the time to fabricate tens of thousands of fake profiles.  What Match does do is to offer free memberships that last very short periods of time, like a weekend.  People create a profile and then let the membership expire.  You can't really tell if you are writing a non-paying profile that can't answer. 

Free sites like POF and OKC are a better choice.

I have no proof. But I live in a small town, I know everyone.  I have never known there were so many hot women live in my town.  I thought that must be a computer generated data.  They try to suck you into just one month membership. With so many suckers in the world, there is lot of money to be make.  they could hire a lot of old retirees to randomly reply to you and lure you into buying a longer membership. 

Hey there are many ways to take money away from you.   Like you, some other female members are real.  But you never know.

MN Photography wrote:
...
What Match does do is to offer free memberships...  People create a profile and then let the membership expire.  You can't really tell if you are writing a non-paying profile that can't answer.

That seems very similar to MM...which can also be a dating website.

heehee

Connor Photography wrote:
they could hire a lot of old retirees to randomly reply to you and lure you into buying a longer membership. 

Hey there are many ways to take money away from you.   Like you, some other female members are real.  But you never know.

Seriously?  Hiring retirees to answers messages?  Now I guess there are conspiracy theories about dating sites. 

There are fake profiles.  They are nearly always scammers and they are very easy to spot.  They are also a small minority.  They don't need to do computer generated profiles when there are thousands of people putting up free trial profiles.  Also, not surprisingly, a lot of women are very wary of meeting people online and don't use their actual town.  It's not unusual for a woman to pick out a town ten miles away.

MN Photography wrote:
Seriously?  Hiring retirees to answers messages?  Now I guess there are conspiracy theories about dating sites.

Dating sites are an unregulated industry.  You would never know how they operate, some may be legit and some may not.  When there is money to be made, many inventive way will surface.  I know of a few senior citizens work at the home for phone sex company in the past.  They can moan and groan just as good as the teenagers.

Connor Photography wrote:
I guess most of the members were fabricated by the host company.   That is why.  Your email goes not where.

MN Photography wrote:
A lot of people say that about Match, but it isn't true.

Oh, it's true. 
I caught 'em first hand many moons ago.
In one case they used the same photo for 3 different profiles.
It's difficult for them to pull that shit now that Google Image Search was invented.

MN Photography wrote:
Free sites like POF and OKC are a better choice

OK Cupid is owned by Match.com

Dave McDermott wrote:
POF SCIENCE

The 3 groups of people that use Plenty Of Fish:

#1. "The creepy guy trying to get laid."

I totally agree that internet dating is a wonderful things.  But it is only for the desirable singles out there, not for the creepy guy trying to get laid.

Connor Photography wrote:
I totally agree that internet dating is a wonderful things.  But it is only for the desirable singles out there, not for the creepy guy trying to get laid.

The internet was made for creepy guys trying to get laid.  Just look at the creepy guy who invented the internet, Al Gore!  LOL

Lovely Day Media wrote:
Have you ever signed up for a dating website? Have you found that 99% of the people you message don't respond? Of the 1% that do respond, 99% don't make it out of cyberspace and of the 1% that do, 99% end before the 2nd date starts?

Of the people who message you, 99% don't have anything to say, don't speak whatever your first language is (they prfr txt spk) and you know when/if you get a 2nd message from them that it's not going anywhere?

i was on POF for 2 weeks and it was weeeeird, i met about 5 people, 4 of them were completely socially awkward and short, one was pretty cool i am still friends with him. i never messaged anyone though, they messaged me. i tried to respond to everyone unless they were extremely tragic right off the bat.

Jay  Edwards wrote:

That seems very similar to MM...which can also be a dating website.

heehee

hee hee
ZING!

MN Photography wrote:
I'm using OKCupid.

I have read long time ago, I think it was on Wikipedia, that they have "privacy issues"... farming their online members for data.

Two nights ago, I listened to a radio show and there was a internet security expert and cyber-crime investigator (police) who talked about OKCupid as well.

He said that OKCupid is using and collection your data, not anonymous, but attached to your name, etc., to databanks for profit.

He said that the profile info will include your drug use, sexual behavior and preferences and many, many more data.

What he basically inferred was that you might apply for a job, had the interview, everything looked good, but last minute, you didn't get the job, because they purchased your data and found out that you are an occasional drug user and the occasional heavy "social" drinker. Info you would never reveal to a potential employer.

OKCupid seems to be one of the worst offenders in that regards.

ernst tischler wrote:
It's interesting that while so many people think so badly of dating websites, there are many people who have met their significant other on dating websites.

I don't have a problem with dating websites, and find it a good tool for people to find someone...

I've tried it, I am not a good catch with my current looks, and my cool traits don't come out strong enough... or... make me interesting to women in an age range that is 30 years above my age range of possible partners... or to women to whom I look anorexic in comparison...

So... I don't do the online thing... works for me even less than my usual mate-finding strategy of not going out and socializing at all, except for doing a job!         

udor wrote:
OKCupid seems to be one of the worst offenders in that regards.

That is pretty scary.  That is why I wonder why would anyone use their real name to get on the internet.  I would rather create a different user name in every social media, and no link between them.

udor wrote:

I have read long time ago, I think it was on Wikipedia, that they have "privacy issues"... farming their online members for data.

Two nights ago, I listened to a radio show and there was a internet security expert and cyber-crime investigator (police) who talked about OKCupid as well.

He said that OKCupid is using and collection your data, not anonymous, but attached to your name, etc., to databanks for profit.

He said that the profile info will include your drug use, sexual behavior and preferences and many, many more data.

What he basically inferred was that you might apply for a job, had the interview, everything looked good, but last minute, you didn't get the job, because they purchased your data and found out that you are an occasional drug user and the occasional heavy "social" drinker. Info you would never reveal to a potential employer.

OKCupid seems to be one of the worst offenders in that regards.

OKCupid does not have my name, address, social security number, phone number or even my regular email address.  I'm not sure who you think is going to benefit from the virtually no information that I, or really anyone else has given OKCupid.

udor wrote:
I have read long time ago, I think it was on Wikipedia, that they have "privacy issues"... farming their online members for data.

Two nights ago, I listened to a radio show and there was a internet security expert and cyber-crime investigator (police) who talked about OKCupid as well.

He said that OKCupid is using and collection your data, not anonymous, but attached to your name, etc., to databanks for profit.

He said that the profile info will include your drug use, sexual behavior and preferences and many, many more data.

What he basically inferred was that you might apply for a job, had the interview, everything looked good, but last minute, you didn't get the job, because they purchased your data and found out that you are an occasional drug user and the occasional heavy "social" drinker. Info you would never reveal to a potential employer.

OKCupid seems to be one of the worst offenders in that regards.

If your potential to work is reliant on your drug and alcohol use maybe you just dont answer the 100% optional questions OKC gives you related to your drug and alcohol use…

It sounds crazy I know but hear me out…you dont actually have to fill out the entirety of your dating profile or take any of those silly quizzes like "what type of stoner are you?" that they use to match you up with people.


OKC doesnt even have my real name. My potential employer would have to already have the photos I used for my profile to google image search me to find my OKC profile

Im not trying to work for the FBI or anything so that sounds like an assload of work most businesses will not go through just to rule you out of their applicant pool. And if I were trying to work for NASA or some shit, I wouldnt be putting on a free and 100% public website how I like to drink and do drugs and have anonymous hook ups so…I dunno, insert something about common sense here.




As for whether or not dating sites work…
They work really well for women, particularly those seeking other women.

Lovely Day Media wrote:
Have you ever signed up for a dating website? Have you found that 99% of the people you message don't respond? Of the 1% that do respond, 99% don't make it out of cyberspace and of the 1% that do, 99% end before the 2nd date starts?

Of the people who message you, 99% don't have anything to say, don't speak whatever your first language is (they prfr txt spk) and you know when/if you get a 2nd message from them that it's not going anywhere?

This has not been my experience.  I was on OKCupid for about a year.  I'd estimate my response rate (women responding to my messages) at about 70 - 80% and I went on first-dates at least 3 times a month.  I answered about half of the women who contacted me--the ones I didn't answer tended to live out-state (more than an hour away).  I started answering the out-staters saying the distance was too great--but that seemed to encourage more messaging so I just stopped replying to out-staters. 

The women I did chat with tended to be nice and interesting.  I think I met with most--if not all--the women I started messaging with for a date (coffee or dinner).  But if there was no spark there was no second date.  Initially I would go on up to 3 dates with a woman before deciding--but the couple I felt a spark with I felt it within the first few minutes.  So I adjusted my process and trusted my first reaction. 

I've been seeing the woman I'm with now for about a year and a half.  But we didn't meet online.

Schlake wrote:
I've tried to sign up for eHarmony three times. [...]

Those a-holes did let me sign up but made it near impossible to cancel. Good thing my bank card info was hacked somewhere else and my bank sent me a new card with a new number. Otherwise I would probably still be paying for eHarmony.