Thousands of happy couples. Thousands of marriages. The highest success rate online. These are just a few of the claims we are constantly hearing from online dating sites, both the major ones and the smaller, more specialized ones. But really, how successful is online dating? Can you trust and believe in what these sites are telling you?

The answer is a very murky “yes” and “no”. The reality is that online dating sites generally rely on self-reporting of happy couples and marriages, which means they need their members to submit comments, letters, and other input sharing their own experiences. And while there are indeed many success stories from online dating this kind of self-reporting is by no means scientific or reliable.

So what is a single person to do? Is it worth looking at the so-called success rates promoted by online dating sites when deciding which one (or ones) to join and participate in? The answer to that one is really up to you, but in general you should take these kinds of claims with a grain of salt.

In the real world of online dating you’re going to have to expect to have a lot of not-so-great dates as you move along the path toward finding someone really special. That, it turns out, is the real meaning of “success” in online dating, the willingness to persevere, keep going, and working toward whatever dating goal you set for yourself. It probably isn’t going to happen overnight, and it may even take several years in some cases. But if you stick with it and have realistic goals you’re likely to have a great deal of fun along the way.

News & Views Couples, Dating Business, Marriage, Success, Trust

Erin go braugh, Ireland forever, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! This is a holiday just made for parties, filled with drinking green beer and hanging out with friends. It seems everyone is “Irish for a day” on St. Patrick’s Day, making it one of the top reasons (or excuses, depending on your perspective) to go out and have fun.

Unlike many other holidays where the emphasis is on that “special someone” (think Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and of course Valentine’s Day), the very nature of St. Patrick’s Day is all about having fun, fun, and more fun. This makes it a terrific opportunity for singles to get out of the house, get out on the town, and simply enjoy themselves for the evening.

If you’re not sure where to go or what to do on St. Patrick’s Day, a quick look through the local paper or events calendar should be all it takes to find something appealing. Many communities have activities underway all day long, from fun runs in the morning to parades in the afternoon to concerts, dances, and beer gardens in the evening and into the night. Grab a friend (or even better, a group of friends) and head out to whatever event or activity strikes your fancy. Approach the evening as a chance to relax and have fun without the pressure of being on a date or having to interact with just one person. Laugh, play, dance, sing karaoke….whatever you want to do because it’s a day to celebrate the spirit and joyous approach to life of the Irish people.

Just remember, if you’re planning to drink alcohol don’t drive; designate a driver to make sure everyone can have a terrific time and get home safely at the end of the evening!

News & Views Fun, Holidays, Irish, Party

The Academy Awards have come and gone for another year, and as always the Oscars created all sorts of buzz and publicity. But what you might not realize is that the world of online dating had an important role to play in this year’s Oscar telecast. Well, okay, actually it’s more accurate to say that online dating didn’t play an important role in this year’s Oscar telecast.

It all has to do with the online dating site AshleyMadison.com and a commercial they wanted to run during the Oscar show. In case you haven’t heard of AshleyMadison.com, it is perhaps the most famous online dating services specially targeted at people who want to engage in extra-marital activities. It’s all about cheating. And this year for the first time ever AshleyMadison.com tried to run a television commercial during the Academy Awards television show.

The key word here is “tried”; the producers of the Oscars telecast turned down the ad as being inappropriate for Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. Why? Because it depicts infidelity and promotes AshleyMadison.com as a resource for those who want to engage in infidelity. Of course, the folks at AshleyMadison.com are quick to point out that Hollywood is hardly a place of virtue when it comes to monogamy and marital fidelity so it doesn’t make sense to them that their admittedly steamy but not vulgar ad has been declined.

What do you think? Is this a case of hypocrisy in action? Or is it an acceptable decision intended to keep the Academy Awards telecast appropriate for all ages to view?

News & Views Ashley Madison, Cheating, Infidelity