Online dating has come a long way since the first real mainstream online dating site, Match.com, came on the scene in 1995. Over the last 15 years online dating has transformed from the perception of being the place where “losers” go to meet to the more modern and correct perception of being the place where singles of all kinds can connect with others. The change has been dramatic indeed, but that doesn’t mean the pace of change is slowing down at all.

Just the opposite, in fact. Online dating continues to transform and change, in some cases literally before our very eyes, as new technology and a new generation of tech-friendly singles comes of age. The tremendous growth of social networking web sites such as MySpace.com and Facebook.com has rapidly started to blur the lines between traditional online dating services and newer ways to connect and find interesting singles to date and get to know.

Many younger singles are shying away from traditional online dating sites and instead focusing their efforts on the social networking sites. Why? Because they feel social networking sites allow them to combine a number of activities all in one convenient place (staying connected with friends, sharing information, dating, etc.) rather than having to access a separate dating site for that activity alone.

What are the traditional online dating sites doing about this phenomenon? In most cases they are actively embracing the social networking aspects of online dating, offering specialty applications for both the social networking sites and mobile phone use as well. For example, Zoosk and Datepad are among the more popular facebook dating aps, though there are many others.

Look for this trend to continue into the future as more and more young people turn to technology and the internet as integral parts of their daily lives!

News & Views Dating Trends, Facebook, Match.com, Social Networking, Technology

Online dating for specialty groups of singles has exploded in recent years, especially for gay, lesbian, and bisexual singles. One of the biggest online dating services, eHarmony.com, however, was accused of discriminating against this group of singles and faced a series of lawsuits over their practices. These lawsuits were recently settled and now eHarmony is more openly welcoming gays, lesbians, and bisexual singles to their services.

The lawsuits alleged that eHarmony.com did not do enough to provide visible and appropriate dating services to this large and diverse group of singles, and in fact suggested eHarmony.com actively discriminated against gay, lesbian, and bisexual singles who attempted to join the eHarmony.com community. After a little over two years of negotiating, though, eHarmony.com has agreed to be more proactive about serving this audience of singles and also be more forthright about displaying and providing easy access to their gay, lesbian, and bisexual dating services.

So what does this really mean? The most readily apparent change is that eHarmony.com will make links to their gay, lesbian, and bisexual dating services more visible and accessible from the main eHarmony.com web site. For instance, on the eHarmony.com home page there are currently links to other specialty dating services for seniors, Christians, Hispanics, African Americans, etc.; under the terms of the lawsuit settlement the home page will now display an equally prominent link to a specialty dating service (actually an entirely separate site called Compatibile Partners) for gay, lesbian, and bisexual singles.

This is a big win for singles of all types, as it means even the largest online dating sites cannot use their size and influence to discriminate against specialty groups of singles. Now everyone can expect to receive equal treatment and equally convenient access to the online dating services best suited to their needs.

News & Views Bisexual, Discrimination, eHarmony, Gay, Lawsuits, Lesbian

One of the things most singles dream about at some point is finding that perfect match and finding out he or she is a millionaire. Wouldn’t it be fun to date someone for whom money is no object? Someone who will “spoil” you and treat you to dating adventures and experiences others simply can’t match?

Just as there are online dating sites for all sorts of specialty groups and audiences, so too are there online dating sites that focus on meeting the online dating needs of millionaires. So what, exactly, does it take to get introduced to millionaires via some of these specialty online dating sites?

Keep in mind that these sites are selective about the singles (men and women) accepted into their programs. In most cases the millionaires are the ones paying hefty fees to join and the “regular” singles are the ones facing the most detailed and specific selection processes. If you aren’t a millionaire and are interested in being considered for matchmaking on one of these sites you’ll need to meet their often very exacting standards.

Some examples of typical requirements include:

Age – Anywhere from 20′s to 40′s in most cases, with some accepting older singles in select cases

Characteristics – Complainers, whiners, and gold-diggers need not apply! These types of sites are looking for single that are attractive, articulate, classy, and emotionally balanced and secure.

Occupation – Mostly looking for educated, professional types who have a steady employment background; this is important to many millionaires because they are not interested in dating someone who is after their money or has shown erratic behaviors in the past.

Here are a few of the better known Millionaire sites we’ve reviewed, though there are many others to choose from:

• Millionaire Match
• Millionaire Mate
• SugarDaddie.com
• More Millionaire and Sugar Daddy dating sites

To combat the problem of fraudsters, the more established Millionaire sites have introduced certification procedures in which members are required to submit proof of their income and their “Net Worth”! At the very least, members should expect to have thier photos and identity verified.

In the end, if you choose to apply to one of the online dating sites catering to millionaires you should not be surprised if you are rejected. Most of these web sites only accept a very small percentage (often less than .5%) of people who are not millionaire clients. With that said, though, don’t let the overall odds scare you off. You’ll never know what could happen until you give it a try!

News & Views Millionaire, Money, Sugar Daddies