Cyberdating Community – View From The Point Of Safety

Spreading of online dating communities sometimes goes faster, than accumulating positive and negative experience in this sphere. "People are fed up with the online dating world," some dating sites' operator say "They realize that there is a lot of misrepresentation out there. On a social networking site you are interfacing with people on a different level.” That's why it is important to point out some issues in the developing of cyberdating.
There are thousands of dating and relationship groups that give people a chance to commiserate, learn the ins and outs of dating or scratch a particular itch. There can also be a certain seal of approval that comes with approaching someone in your friend's social network - almost like a blind date arranged by your buddy - assuming your friend is discerning about linking to others online and game to let you try. That's not to say, though, that issues of online security aren't just as pressing on a social network as on more established dating sites - especially for kids and teenagers.
But is online dating on social networks or even more established dating sites any more dangerous than connecting with people in more traditional ways? At least one expert thinks maintaining perspective is important.
According to a study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 31 percent of American adults know someone who has tried dating online. The Pew study also revealed that 43 percent of people who have actually tried online dating consider it a risky pursuit.
In any event, it's wise to exercise common sense and take a few basic precautions when meeting through social-networking and online dating sites.
- Do you get what you pay for? Fee-based dating sites tend to attract people genuinely looking to connect because they require members to fill out a detailed personal profile and pay a fee before getting full access to the site. Nevertheless, check sites' privacy protection policies, as well as any safety tips they offer.
- Maintain privacy. Most of sites have privacy settings so you can control who views your profile and sends you comments. Some dating sites also have similar features that allow users to block e-mails or hide their photos, for example.
- Never give out personal info on your profile. Never give out your street address, e-mail, or home or work telephone number until you feel completely safe doing so. Create a separate e-mail address specifically for meeting people online that doesn't reveal either your place of business or your real name.
- Go slowly before meeting in person. The natural progression of most online relationships is from e-mails to phone calls to in-person meet-ups -- but there's no need to rush it. “Definitely talk on the phone at least twice before meeting in person. People can be very different from their online personality," advise experts of online activity.
(by http://edition.cnn.com)