Match.com to Screen For Sex Offenders – They Don’t Already?

Christian Singles

Match.com announced that they will begin checking the National Sex Offender Registry when people sign up to use their online dating service today.  What is truly amazing is that they were not already doing so.  Perhaps I was remiss in thinking that this would be a logical thing for a dating service to be doing.  Regardless, they are doing so now.

The company has started doing this in large part because of a huge lawsuit filed in California by a woman that says she was raped by a Match.com date.  The lawsuit claimed that the man forced his way into her apartment on the second date and proceeded to rape her.  The man named in the lawsuit allegedly had six different sexual battery charges in his history in Los Angeles County, not to mention anywhere else.

The woman says that because Match.com did not screen for predators that are known, that she was at risk.  This seems contrary to what Match.com had in their terms of service.

In the terms of service and enrollment agreement on Match.com, it clearly states that individuals are solely responsible for any and all meetings and results between dates.  In other words, Match.com has no responsibility when damages are incurred from meeting someone on the site and seeing them. (paraphrased from the site)  The terms are rather clear, but that does not seem to be stopping the case from moving forward.

The woman says that it was rape, while the man claims it was consensual.  Regardless, the case is one that seems to be changing the way Match.com does business.  They are changing the background checks on the site, and are now going to bounce the names against the registry.  It seems that this is a simple enough thing to do and one that should have been done to start with.

Perhaps that is the reason why the lady is pursuing this action in court.  While the website seems protected with the wording included on the sign up sheet, it still can be held accountable under certain conditions.  Apparently Jane Doe’s lawyers feel strongly enough about the case to pursue it.  It should be interesting to see what comes of this and if it will change the industry standards in the months to come.

A safer online dating environment is certainly not a bad thing, but how much of that onus should fall upon the heads of the website?  Is much of this still not on us? I guess it depends upon what we perceive that we are paying for, and what we are actually getting for our membership.  Maybe it would be a good thing to offer extensive background checks on prospective matches.  I know that I would certainly pay for it if I were back in the dating scene somehow.  Safety is the most important thing when it comes to online dating, even though we may not realize it until after something bad like this happens.

We shall see in Los Angeles Court in due time.  It should be an interesting battle indeed.

This article is contributed by Rodney Southern, a freelance writer and sports columnist.  Rodney regularly publishes articles at collaborative writing sites such as HungryScholar.

  • What Are They Really Saying? Reading Body Language on the First Date (singleonlinedating.org)
  • Top Five Most Romantic Cities (singleonlinedating.org)

Online Dating Tips and Meeting in Person

Christian Singles

The world of online dating is exploding like never before and there are more relationships starting over the Internet than ever. There are people meeting online right now and laying the groundwork necessary to establish a connection that could grow into something else. It’s important to stay focused if true love is your ultimate goal because there are a lot of distractions when it comes to online dating. But if you remember to take things slow, and you have a healthy perspective about the situation you could find yourself meeting someone in real life in no time. And when that moment comes you could be filled with stress and anxiety, but it can be incredibly thrilling at the same time. Here are some basic online dating tips for when you finally get to meet that special person in real life.

Take things slowly – even if you have been e-mailing back and forth for quite some time it’s important to understand that an online persona is often different than what a person is in real life. When a person is online, they can be a bit braver than they usually are, or they might fudge the facts a little bit when it comes to certain details. You also have to consider that you might have built them up into something different entirely, and a lot of what you know about them actually comes from your own head. This is not to say the date is going to be some surprising disaster, but you have to be realistic about the situation as well.

Remember it’s just a date – even if you have started a relationship online, once you agree to meet in person it pretty much turns into a regular dating situation. That means that first date tips apply, and in many aspects you are starting from zero. You still have to worry about making a great first impression and that’s usually done by showing up on time, dressing well for the occasion, and being on your best behavior. Remember, you can’t rely on Internet websites to do all of the work for you. Once you are face-to-face then you have to kick into real-life date mode and be on your game if you want to establish any type of chemistry.

A Great Date And He Was Cute, Too

Single Parent Dating

Sometimes a great date isn’t about the guy. Not to say that this is always the case, because it isn’t- I love a cute guy just as much as the next girl. But I can appreciate a great date even if they guy isn’t my type.  Take for example this date I went on just last week. It was amazing and I think it would have been great with anyone, but as an added bonus he was adorable. All I can say is that I keep waiting for the phone to ring again.

He picked me up and was actually on time which is always a plus. Then we went out to the new Italian restaurant for dinner. I had some of the best spaghetti that I have eaten and their garlic bread was to die for. As dinner was wrapping up I suggested that we split a dessert, but he said that he had something else planned for after so we didn’t. He paid the bill and we left.

Then he took me down to the park. It wasn’t that late and there were tons of people out enjoying the beautiful night, so it wasn’t creepy at all. He built a fire in this little fire pit and pulled all the makings for smores out of a bag that he had brought along. We just sat there roasting marshmallows and talking. The melted chocolate-y goodness of that delicious dessert was just what I needed. I probably ate way more than I should have and was a little embarrassed when we easily ate the entire bag of marshmallows.  Then he took me home and said goodbye.

I know that smores sound a little unconventional on a date, but if he can plan that for a first date, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for the second.

Getting Started In Online Dating: Finding a Site and Starting a Profile

Christian Singles

It’s normal to feel a little nervous when you first decide to turn on your computer and enter the world of online dating. However, speaking from positive experience, I can assure you there’s really no reason to worry. Online dating can be an extremely enjoyable experience and there are thousands of loving relationships out there whose happy first meetings occurred online.

Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/buenosaurus/402295188/

My girlfriend and I have been dating for five months and found each other online. The chemistry was there before we met in the flesh, so please be positive when you build your profile and start online dating, you need to really put your character across to entice the other person to open up and share their personality and feelings.

If you’re reading this then you may already have started an online dating profile, signed up to a site or have a strong interest in doing so. That’s good as the first step is the hardest. Be honest when filling out your profile, you want them to like the real you, and make sure you join the right site or section. If you’re looking for long term commitment then obviously a ‘quick fling’ site or section simply isn’t for you. Conduct some research, get a feel for the sites you like, write down your personal details and what it is you are looking for and start that profile.

Preparation is key when creating your profile. This will effectively be your online presence until you start chatting with other site users. Unlike a bar or nightclub, there’s no distracting noise or annoying hustle bustle, your profile can receive the full consideration of others and you can return the compliment. Choose a great picture, include the special details which make you who you are and you’ll be well on your way to online dating success.

Try to be different and stand out too. Get creative, you could write it in the form of a story (be careful with this one) or a poem (obe EXTRA careful with this one). Above all try to keep it light and interesting. Chances are, no-one wants to hear about your political or religious views just yet unless you’re on a niche dating site. Be funny and playful, remembering that someone on the other end of this has to read it. Try to make it as fun for them as possible.

Making a huge effort with your profile is vital as this is how you put yourself out there to catch the eye (and maybe the heart) of another online dater. Good luck with this first step toward finding the special person of your dreams!

This article was written by Megan Hughes from WeLoveDates online dating – for more of her writing check out the WeLoveDates blog.

Christian Singles Online Advice

Christian Singles

If you are a Christian looking for a significant other with whom you can share your life, you might want to try online dating. There are many Christian singles online, looking for love and companionship. In the past when couples said they met online, they were questioned and their story was unique. With today’s technology, it is becoming more acceptable and much easier to find love online.

Christian singles online may want to go to dating websites that are designed just for Christians. These websites try to line couples up that not only have similar hobbies or personalities, but also have similar beliefs. If your faith is important to you, you will want someone who shares your morals.

Many of these dating websites offer free trials. You can join for free and test things out. If you do not like what you see as you browse around the site and try it out, you can cancel before you are charged. Some of the sites say that if you do not like your matches, you will get your money back. There are plenty of options for Christian singles online.

If you do not want to have to pay to find love, you can join some of the other dating sites. As long as you mention that you are a Christian, and are looking for another Christian, you should be able to find people with your values. You may get some strange comments on occasion, but if you are not easily offended, you can find people with your morals just about anywhere on the internet.

With any kind of blind dating, you will want to proceed with care. Talk with the person you meet over email for awhile before you exchange any information. If you decide to meet in person, take someone along with you or meet in a public location. You can never know for sure who you are talking to when you chat on the computer.

Online dating background screening

Single Parent Dating

With today’s Internet age, anyone can have access to vital information about an individual. Employers can check on the background of job candidates, landlords on their potential tenants, and business entities on their vendors, suppliers, and business partners. Believe it or not, you can even make a background check also on a date you’ve been seeing before you decide on going further than plain dating.

More and more people are getting themselves into online dating to find a potential mate, partner or spouse. This essentially holds true to the busiest cities where most employees are on the go and allotting even a few minutes of their time to spend with a new acquaintance may become unsuccessful. Some people are more confident in making reports at home, for example, while waiting for a reply on the chat room. Also, there are instances when a new acquaintance at a party begins sending you e-mails almost every day showing you that he or she has interest in you. If you have mutual feelings, some type of background screening service is beneficial. Take note that when you have n enough knowledge of a new acquaintance, you may be opening yourself up to potential stalkers, thieves, sexual predators, and ex-convicts out to catch his next victim.

Don’t be fooled right away by a date’s flowering words and impressive remarks. Do your own research. There are plenty of background screening agencies that mastered the art of checking people on online dating sites. It would be best for you to check him or her out before doing moves other than dinner or movie dates.

You can find out who he or she really is by getting access of the person’s civil records, bankruptcies, tax liens, small claims judgments, previous addresses, property ownership, business ownership, aliases, relatives, neighbors, vehicle registrations, professional licenses and many more. You may find some screening companies that claim to provide you with all the information you need. This may not be the case though. There are some data that cannot be accessed though especially when they are not updated. Focus on the data you need the most. Your conversations with your date should be your basis. Whatever he or she tells you, like occupation and name, can be verified through an online dating background screening company.

  • Online Detectives Can Unmask Mr. or Ms. Wrong (nytimes.com)