Friday, July 27, 2012

Dating Online for Ordinary (and Not So Ordinary) People - How to Choose the Right Niche Dating Site

Online dating is a booming business and like anything else, has grown quickly from a relatively straightforward choice of fairly-normal-man-meets-fairly-normal-woman scenarios to a myriad of different theme, specialist and just plain weird dating sites, so it can be a real challenge to know where to start.

We all like to think that we're a little bit different to everyone else, but generally, most people tend to consider themselves to be "normal" ie our lifestyle fits the conventions of most of the folks we know. We work, we socialise, we chat on the phone and we maybe spend time doing things that interest us: gardening, cooking, child-rearing, car mechanics and wearing leather shorts. Okay, maybe not that last one, but let's think about what we actually want from a dating site. If there are particular activities that we enjoy - like wearing leather shorts - that might not necessarily be appealing to a prospective mate on a conventional dating site, so surely we should strive to arrange our dating desires to get what we want and, ultimately, meet someone on the same wavelength?

Whether you're a fan of horseriding, gardening or Star Trek, there'll be a dating site that caters just for you (HorseLovers Dating, Love Garden, Trek Passions, for instance). Of course, your interests may be much more explicit than that and may relate very directly to your life and your long-term plans. There are, for instance, sites for people who are HIV positive, or who have sexually transmitted or terminal diseases. This sort of thing clearly won't interest most of the population, but if you happen to be in that situation yourself, those very specific dating sites might be exactly what you are looking for and could provide the support and understanding you need.

As a much more sexually aware population than ever before, we are pretty good at asking for, and getting, what we want. To help us along that route there are naturally many sites for individuals who like certain sexual practices, who want specific types of relationship or who seek someone older/younger/richer than themselves. Military personal, for instance are catered for on Army Singles and Military Dating Group. People with disabilities might do very well with Free My Ability, or Disabled Desires.

With all of these, of course, it's important to observe good practice. Take care to keep yourself safe when exploring websites that cater for explicit practices. Having an awareness of what you might be getting into (literally) is paramount. Staying safe online is simple enough if you're sensible and don't throw caution out the window when things start to heat up:

  • Don't use your real name on your dating profile
  • Keep email and phone details confidential
  • Be aware that the people you are in contact with may not always be who they say they are

This last one is especially important when getting involved in "adult" dating sites: individuals who enjoy swapping, S&M and bondage practices should take extra care to keep themselves safe when meeting prospective dates.

Try carrying out an Internet search using words associated with your chosen theme or activity, such as "dating, uniforms, army". There are also many lists and "top tips" detailing the less well known specialised sites. Many of these will be fee-paying sites, so before handing over your hard-earned cash, take a little time to search or browse members to see if the site sounds like it's offering what you're looking for.

While opposites may well attract, it's often the similarities between us that keep couples going along together in the same direction. Whatever you're into, there's something out there that will help you find what you want.

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