The Internet is here to stay in more ways than one. Not only is it a primary source of information for consumers, students and researchers, it has also become a new way for finding one’s “cyber soul mate.” I myself know of one couple (second marriage for them both) that found themselves and each other through an online dating service. In their particular cases, it was E-Harmony that matched them up, (http://www.Eharmony.com, but there are many such sites on the Internet today awaiting to pair single people up with each other.
Do they do a good job? Overall, I would say that on the surface at least it would appear that E-harmony does. My friends’ success would certainly be enough of a recommendation for me if I were looking for such a service. It is not, however, that easy to determine, because I wouldn’t know, for example, how many people have been dissatisfied with the services they offer, and where my odds for success fit into that framework. As odd as it may sound, we must caveat emptor this idea just as carefully as we would approach any other new financial venture that may backfire. Is it worth the risk of finding someone who can make you happy? I would say, yes, but others might say otherwise.
The idea of having someone (or something, namely a computer) evaluating your likes and dislikes and matching them up with someone else’s is probably the ultimate in human/cyber energy. It seems so impersonal, and even worse than the traditional break-the-ice questions like “what’s your sign?” Can cyber intelligence make better decisions? Well, judging from some of the decisions I have made in my lifetime, I would have to say that computers probably couldn’t do any worse than I have!
Give these Internet dating sites a chance. You may find yourself very happy that you did. (If you don’t, please don’t blame me. I do mean well.)