Online Dating

Rarely, if ever, has there been a social pursuit as consuming, confusing, and downright intimidating as dating. Of course, if one gets lucky and finds a partner for life, the rewards can be immense.

One would probably be safe in assuming that for as long as there have been humans there has been dating. For the most part, the species seems to have progressed from the find 'em and drag 'em era and into an altogether more civilised approach to dating. Indeed, it would be hoped that some modicum of tact, decorum and sophistication has been injected into the proceedings over these past few millennia.

Lonely hearts and singletons have gathered in various hot spots over the years. Forgetting for a moment the ubiquitous pub-and-club gambit, it can be seen that a variety of places serve as places to see and to be seen. Grocery stores, laundrettes, even churches have served as cruising grounds for the horny hopeful. But now, thanks to technology, things have become a lot more interesting.

Online dating is well and truly upon us and it looks set to stay. As one observer notes, 'Twenty years from now, the idea that someone looking for love without looking for it online will be silly, akin to skipping the card catalog to instead wander the stacks because 'the right books are found only by accident.' Serendipity is the hallmark of inefficient markets, and the marketplace of love, like it or not, is becoming more efficient.' This efficiency is marked out by the hordes of online dating services and the legions of subscribers paying to play.