Cosmo's Guide to Online Dating
By Liesa Goins
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Now's the ideal time to try Internet dating. The stigma is history, the
sites are man-packed and your privacy is protected. Here is all the info
you need to meet your dream man.
If you think the online dating arena is a bastion of socially inept
people who can't master bar-scene trolling, check your watch -- Internet dating has actually become cool. "Since the '90s
dot-com boom, more people are comfortable on the Web," says Jane Rinzler
Buckingham, president of trend-tracking agency Youth Intelligence and a
Cosmo contributing editor. "If we use it to find airline tickets and jobs,
why not love?" Plus, it's efficient. "You can instantly get the lowdown on
dozens of men," says Hannah*, 27, who has used her keyboard to connect
with several guys.
Everyone is doing it -- because it works. Nearly 18 million people
visited personals sites in January 2001, according to Internet tracking
firm Jupiter Media Metrix.
Date.com averages one marriage per week between people
who met on its site, and
eharmony.com says it has matched more than
a million users.
Where to Start Your Search
There are hundreds of dating sites, so we weeded through the Web to
help you choose where to click for cuties. Your best bet is to pick either
the most popular (read: loaded with men) or most specialized (to narrow
your search). To ensure a site is legit, read the privacy policy -- it
should state that they won't share your personal stats and that all
correspondence is done anonymously through the site to keep your identity
private until you reveal it.
Most sites work the same way -- you can post a profile, browse the ads
to see who's out there and receive messages for free, but you have to pay
if you want to take the next step and initiate contact.
The Biggies
According to Jupiter Media Metrix, these are the most-visited sites:
Yahoo's
ClubConnect (personals.yahoo.com; one month costs $19.95), with a
range of
 21- to 40-year-old professionals;
Match.com (one month costs
$24.95), which has 3 million members, half of whom are under 30;.and
Date.com ($24.95
a month), which has more than a million members and uses a formula to pair
people up.
The Specialists
If you insist on certain criteria, try one of these sites:
eharmony.com has
a pricey $49.95 charge for one month but attracts an upscale clientele and
focuses exclusively on serious relationships.
Why the Web Is a Woman's Market
It's ladies' night whenever you log on -- the Web is full of fine guys.
Most sites we checked out have a male registration of 65 percent; some
even have two guys for every female. Why? "Men are used to pursuing women,
so the Web is just an extension of that," explains Jeffrey Ullman, founder
of the non-Web-based Greater Relations Worldwide matchmaking service in
Los Angeles.
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