Meeting someone for the first time is nerve wracking enough. One way to make it a little easier on yourself is to conduct your own background check before you even meet. Is this judgmental? Maybe, but in this day and age, you’re entitled to get a few pointers on who this person is and where they come from before committing to a date. Remember should you find things out about a person and still choose to go on a date with him or her, refrain from bringing up that you were a detective in a former life. This may just flip the tables and make you look like the weird one.
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Google Hey, it’s basic, but it works and it’s free. There’s no doubt that your first public database for finding info on your blind date is Google. Everyone is Googl-ing people they know (or those they don’t know), so feel free to Google your companion’s name and go to town finding their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Remember that some names are common, so just because you find a person’s profile doesn’t exactly mean it’s the person you’re looking for. Be careful when using Google because you may end finding more than you planned, especially when it comes to tags on Facebook.
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ZabaSearch This public database allows you to search people by name and phone number. If you start chatting with someone online and that conversation moves to the phone, ZabaSearch will come in handy to see who the person on the other end of the line truly is. It will also give you insight on whether this person uses a phone connected to their parents or worse, their spouse. The bulk of the info on this site is free, but verifying email addresses does require a small fee.
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Switchboard If you have a person’s first and last name, you can use Switchboard to find their phone number. After having their phone number, you can go to other public databases that show information based on a phone number. In some cases, you can find a person’s address, as well as the residential history of that person based on a phone number. This may be beneficial when getting to know a blind date to make sure the history they’re telling you adds up with the facts.
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ZoomInfo ZoomInfo is a paid service, but it does the bulk of the work for you. Unlike using Google, which can sometimes bring back a lot of information you don’t need or information that’s irrelevant, ZoomInfo brings in people-related data only. This is helpful for those who are cramped for time or aren’t pros when it comes to search engines.
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LinkedIn Most professionals use LinkedIn to have some control over their online persona. In a world where many people can share the same name, this means you don’t want a potential employer to mix you up with another person downing a 40 on pictures posted on Facebook. To gain control of their online image, many professionals create a LinkedIn profile, stating their education and employment history. If you’ve been chatting with someone for awhile and they’re presenting themself as a high-powered professional with an impressive academic career, this should be your first stop to see if it’s true. While information on LinkedIn isn’t necessarily official, those who are on it have typically done so to network for work, not snag a date.
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Yahoo! People Search We love this public data base because it allows for email searches too. Depending on how you meet your blind date, searching his or her email address may come in handy. If you find out the person has opened the email account under a different name, it could be a sign this person is attached and probably not worth your time. You can also search people by name, address or phone number, should you have any of that information.
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Family Watch Dog A simple search of a name tells you if your potential date is a registered sex offender. Because of parole officers, the vast majority of sex offenders must register their names. As long as they are a registered sex offender in your state and have not taken on a new name or persona (in which case, you have bigger fish to fry), the person’s name and address will pull up what he or she was convicted of and how much time they served.
No matter how or where you meet your blind date, never assume anything. Just because you’re being introduce by a co-worker or on a Christian dating site doesn’t guarantee the person is an upstanding citizen. Keep an open mind when going on this hunt. After all, you don’t want to jump to any conclusions about a person, but you also want to protect yourself. If the idea of dating someone with a misdemeanor from parking tickets makes your stomach flip, you may be better off meeting someone the old-fashioned way (and even then, you can’t be sure he or she is of impeccable moral fiber).
The best dating sites for men give you options. For men, a specialized dating site can work best. Men may be interested in a certain type of partner, which is essential for feeling connected and having sexual chemistry with a potential date. To get rid of the song and dance of finding this partner on a general dating site, men should search for sites aimed at their particular knack. This may be Christian women, plus size women or other men. Whatever your interest is, it’s likely there’s a dating site for you that fits the bill.
Men with high profile jobs that put them on the web will appreciate a site with anonymity. There’s no reason to reveal too much of yourself right off the bat. A simple Google search will reveal a lot about you. If you want to refrain from a potential date seeing your frat pictures your buddy from 10 years ago posted on Facebook, refrain from sharing your real name and any other personal information. The best dating sites keep your safety in mind, which filters the quality of people who participate at a particular site.
Men are typically less comfortable with dating than women. Let’s face it – women hold the cards. With online dating, men may feel intimidated. There are many smart, successful women who don’t have time to date the conventional way and will engage in online dating for a few weeks or months before allocating time for an actual date. Men should seek out a dating site with easy applications that removes the stress of dating.
Pretty soon you’ll get the hang of instant messaging and direct messaging a potential mate. You don’t want to be too aggressive, but the best dating sites have numerous applications that allow you to interact with people in different ways. A nudge or poke may show a mate you notice him or her. A direct message shows you’re interested in getting to know the person and by the time you’re IM-ing, your potential date will know you’re willing to share things about yourself too.
Men will also benefit from an online dating site with a chat room. This allows you to feel out the people on the site. Think of it as a cyber group date. These chat rooms aren’t usually geared towards sex (unless a particular kink or fetish is the purpose of the site), so you don’t have to feel like you have to make a move. Just be yourself, get to know people and see if there’s anyone you hit it off with. For those who are having trouble taking the first step contacting a match, a chat room application allows you to get to know people without making a big move.
The best dating sites for women protect their safety. The best dating sites have an anonymity that protects women and allows them to keep their personal information to themselves. Dating sites know that women have to feel safe in order to continue to use their services, so the best dating sites for women will go above and beyond to ensure this message is clear.
Some of the best online dating sites for women offer chat rooms. This removes the pressure of one-on-one interaction. Some women may want to get to know a partner on their own, but others may be more comfortable in a group setting. These chat rooms are not sexual, unless that’s the intention of the site. Don’t get too nervous! Think of chat rooms more as a group date or a mixer, where you can interact and mingle with several potential mates in one place.
Everyone who enters the world of online dating wants a site that’s easy to navigate. The best dating sites for women implement several applications and easy interface that lets you get around the site without missing a beat. You should never have to spend a lot of time learning how to use a dating site. It should be fairly easy, even for those with limited computer experience.
The best dating sites for women can be general dating sites because women tend to draw plenty of profile hits regardless of the site’s demographic. If you’re a women looking for a person who falls into a particular category, it may be best for you to sign up at a dating site that caters to that demographic. Regardless, women have the advantage in dating and this carries over into online dating too. Women should see who they connect with to mix up the typical partner they’re accustomed to dating. That’s the great think about online dating! You may end up with a strong connection with someone you typically would not have come across when dating traditional ways.
Usually it’s paid online dating sites that are best for women. Free online dating sites can often bring in a low quality pool of potential dates. Most women aren’t perusing online dating sites for a mere hook-up. The majority are looking to get to know potential partners that could develop into actual romantic relationships. Free online dating sites don’t always attract someone who fits this description, so it’s important for women to understand you get what you pay for when it comes to online dating.
The best free online dating sites have similarities. There’s nothing wrong with a general site that lets you cruise singles in your area, but the best free online dating sites are still about quality. Finding a mate on a free online dating is possible because of the sheer volume of people who gravitate towards something that’s free. Often, this gives people a way of feeling out the online dating world without any serious commitment.
The best free online dating sites keep users anonymous. Eventually, you may reveal more about yourself, but in the beginning it’s important to keep the conversation light and see if you have anything in common with your connection. There’s nothing wrong with declining someone because you simply aren’t feeling chemistry with them. That’s the world of dating in general and online daters are well acquainted with recognizing a match through IMs and private messaging.
Instant and private or direct messaging are essential for the best free online dating sites. You want to start with a few messages here and there, and progress to communicating in real time. This is where you’ll see your potential partner shine or you’ll see him or her shy away. It may be the same story for you. Interacting with someone in real time via IM is kind of like a mini date. It isn’t anywhere near as intimate (after all, you’re in different places), but it does cultivate the feel of the relationship and what it could become. If you’re looking for a long term relationship, you want these applications to give you options on getting to know someone.
All of these applications should be easy to understand and navigate. You want the site to be simple to use so you can get to the good stuff and have fun with online dating. There’s nothing fun about having a hard time getting around a site or putting applications to use in an attempt to make a connection. You’ll see what site best works for you after you start using it a bit. For this reason, it’s smart to sign up for multiple free dating sites to see what’s out there in terms of applications and utilize the one that you’re most comfortable with.
The best free online dating sites have a certain person in mind. This may be a religion, race or sexual preference. There’s something that brings users to this site aside from it being an online dating site. This is great for those who want to zero in on a certain type and go from there. The best free online dating sites know that bringing together people who are interested in select things gives these people plenty of options in selecting a potential date.
There are many free dating websites. If you aren’t sure how to navigate the world of online dating, trying free dating sites may help you learn the ropes. This way you get a feel for how online dating works. If the free online dating sites don’t end up pooling the quality of partner you want, you can always move on to a paid site. By then you’ll know what mistakes to avoid and how to create a stellar online dating profile.
Though they’re free, any dating website worth using should off anonymity due to safety precautions. Remember to keep your private information private. This means your real name, your job and where you live should stay private until you’re well acquainted with your potential date. None of this should be revealed online during chat sessions, nor should they be posted on your profile. You have to keep yourself safe. Yes, you want to meet someone, but you never want to endanger yourself or anyone you live with by revealing too much too soon. The best online dating sites offer anonymity that allows users to slowly get to know each other on their terms.
Check out the layout of the profiles and make the most of your online dating profile. You have to reel people in with a single glance at your page. This isn’t easy and most free dating services don’t match you with people because you match yourself according to what you see. This is something to remember when going the free dating website route.
Consider what you think is most important when perusing someone’s online dating profile. You want to display an attractive (but not deceiving) image of yourself, along with a few fun facts. You may want to talk about the things that are most important to you. Remember what you put out there will attract people interested in the things mentioned. If you talk about golf as a hobby, don’t be surprised if you end up with golf aficionados in your inbox. A free dating website should allow your profile to be interesting, attractive and easy to read so users don’t just skip over the site because it’s difficult to navigate.
The site should be easy to use. There’s no need for a dating site to be complicated when it comes to using the applications. It should be self-explanatory for the most part with a help section that’s easy to find and read should you run into any problems. The easier a site is to use, the more people will use it. The more people who use it, the more likely you are to make a match. After all, it’s all a number games when it comes to modern dating.