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Funny odds of online dating
Internet daters complaining
Rick, a Web site developer from Columbus, Ohio, remembers his divorce nearly four years ago with an extra tinge of bitterness: His ex-wife remarried the same day, to a man she met via the Internet.
"After we decided to split, we were still living together for a while and she got online," Rick, 29, said. "They ended up meeting and two days after that, she was wearing his ring." Rick later tried his own luck at a Web dating forum, but said a promising flirtation with a woman turned sour after several weeks of e-mail contact. He finally met a new love online, but not at a dating site – the [unsuspecting] sweetheart sent him a message to [compliment] a music disc he had recorded. "It [has blossomed] very naturally as opposed to anything else I've experienced online," he said.
While the Internet has arguably increased the chances of meeting [potential] mates, it carries its own share of heartbreak and growing complaints about false profiles, bad behavior and ill-suited matches. A number of online daters and Internet sites are taking matters into their own hands, critiquing these services and warning their peers of the pitfalls of Web hook-ups.
At least 29 million Americans, or two out of five singles, used online dating services last year, and that market is [expected] to keep growing over the next five years.
[Amid] the triumphant tales of e-mails that end in wedding bells, a growing number of online daters are [voicing] complaints. At eDateReview, some of the most popular match-up sites garner lukewarm ratings. The most frequent complaints are that there are far more men online than women and a lack of protection against sexual predators or cheating lovers. Men lie mostly about their availability and about [whether] they have a steady girlfriend or wife, and women tend to lie mostly about their looks.
One of the critiques comes from a reviewer named Rich, who gives Match.com a two-star rating out of five potential stars. "I've come to this conclusion – there are not a whole lot of good-looking women on these dating sites," he wrote. "'Average' (in a profile) means fat, 'extra pounds' means bring a defibrillator to the date."
A reviewer identifying herself as Natalie says she " [will take] her chances on meeting her next date the conventional way."
The grievances are a sign of how mainstream the practice has become. The things people do online to deceive people are the same things they do offline. The point of connection is on a Web site [instead] of a bar or a gym.