In just a couple of short decades, online dating services have transformed dramatically. What were once places where “losers” went to find love are now considered an integral part of the modern dating process. Along the way, of course, a number of online dating service companies have made a tremendous amount of money.

Now, however, there is a serious threat to these services on the horizon. With the rise in social networking sites like Facebook.com, MySpace.com, and the like, more and more people are looking for ways to search those huge databases of singles for their perfect match. And since social networking sites are generally free, a safe and secure dating module created for such sites could very well be the “killer app” that puts a dent in the profits of paid online dating services.

And if that dating application were free? Well, that might just be enough to put many of the smaller online dating services out of business completely. The larger services like Match.com, eHarmony.com, Lavalife, and Cupid.com would likely find a way to still compete, but I suspect they would have to make some significant changes to stay in the game. This might come in the form of adjusting their fees, adding more value to their services, or some other “killer app” of their own that hasn’t been developed yet.

Which approach would be better? Are you more likely to find a match via paid online dating services or via one of the extremely popular social networking sites? Nobody knows for sure quite yet because the “killer app” for dating on social networking sites hasn’t been developed yet. The one thing that’s for sure, though, is that the online dating scene is poised to see some huge changes in the next few years. It’s going to be an exciting ride!

News & Views Facebook, Killer App, MySpace, Social Networking

Right now, you might be feeing the pinch of the economy’s woes. Whether your 401K is shaky or your job is looking unsure, we’ve all been affected in some way by the economy.

Well, everyone but the online dating market.

It seems that even when the money situation is tough, the search for love is something our budgets will still allow. And this makes sense. We want to forget our woes and find someone with whom we can commiserate.

We want to have good times and make good memories – and online dating allows us to do so. True, the cost of online dating is quite low, so it does make it easier to leave this added expense in our monthly costs, but the satisfaction that comes along with a good date is priceless.

So, does this mean if you’re not already online that you should add this cost to your budget? Perhaps. Or you can look for free online dating services like Facebook, MySpace or Mingle2. Better still, there are others out there which have recently become free, such as Metrodate.

Love doesn’t have to cost a thing, after all.

The continued importance of online dating in the plunging economy proves one thing about the human condition – we still know that love is what really matters. No matter what might be happening in the world around us.

News & Views Cost, Economy, Facebook, Free, Love, Mingle2.com, Money, MySpace

It seems as though everyone has an online profile somewhere on the web. And for most of us, we’re actually on multiple networking sites – some for work, some for fun, and some with a mix of both of our needs.

Let’s look at two of the most popular – Facebook and MySpace.

Both of these sites have ways that you can proclaim your single-ness to the rest of the world, allowing you to have a free way to meet dates online. But is it really as effective as it might seem? Or are traditional dating sites the way to go?

Here are the pros of networking sites:

• They offer you a look into the personality of your date
• They can give you a sense of who they hang out with
• You can look at their profile before talking to them
• They’re free to use!

But here are the cons of using networking sites as dating sites:

• They can lead to long term issues with people bugging you for dates
• They can lure less than truthful people to your profile
• The security risk is higher

Just as with any website for dating, there are positives and negatives, so you need to weigh the risks before heading into the dating pool of these sites. But the good news? You don’t have to accept anyone as a friend until you’re completely sure you want them to be a friend.

Choose your friends wisely, and you might find your dating life spicing up.

Reviews Chat, Facebook, Friends, MySpace, Social Networking