Logging On For Love: Finding A Mate Online

We spend hundreds and hundreds of hours on the internet checking e-mail, updating our pictures, and chatting with friends about how our day went.

There’s no doubt the internet has become a main driver in the way we communicate with each other, but it’s also a place where sometimes – we happen upon love.

?The moment I met him, I felt like a little school girl,? said Trina Alesi. ?I couldn’t stop giggling.”

When it came to dating, Alesi said she had tried it all: church groups and other gatherings where people had the same values, but she’d walked away disappointed.

Then, someone told her to log on.

?My cousin talked me into signing up for MySpace,? she said. ?She was about 12 years younger than me, and she was on it, and she said you really should be on MySpace.”

Alesi decided to conduct a search to see who was out there in the cyber world who she may connect with.

?You could set the parameters, male or female,? Alesi said. ?The age, the distance from where you live. I put in a 50 miles radius, male, and within 10 years of my age.”

The list that came up was in alphabetical order, and one name stood out.

?It said Anthony, and it showed he was online. I clicked on it, sent him a little e-mail, and said, ‘Hi, neighbor. I live in Indio. If you ever want to chat, just send me an e-mail.?”

It turned out Anthony hadn’t set up any account. His sons,18 and 20-years-old, had wanted dad to have a social life and set it up for him.

It was a kind gesture that turned out to be doubly kind in Alesi’s case.

?When his sons set up the account, they named him Anthony,? she said. ?Because it was in alphabetical order, and the first screen that popped up, and it said he was online right now, that’s what prompted me to send him an email.”

It turned out Anthony really goes by Tony. If he had signed on himself, the two may have never met.

And since Tony is a one-fingered typist, six weeks into online chatting, he insisted they meet in person, and put down the keyboards.

They met at a restaurant, and a year later they married.

This was a fairy tale story of what could and sometimes does happen when it comes to internet dating, but if you’re just getting started the world finding “Mr. or Miss Right” can be downright confusing.

When it comes to websites, consumer experts say stick to websites that make you pay. They say it attracts people who are more serious about relationships, rather than hooking up.

Sites like Match.com and E-Harmony require it. They also require a personality test that they say will match you to a list of people with common interests.

It’s a little different though when it comes to social media.

On Facebook, you can’t just type in the qualities you’re looking for and get a result. But there is an app for that!

It’s called “Are You Interested?”

This application has taken to the Facebook crowd like gangbusters with nearly 15 million monthly visitors.

It asks questions, but it pulls most of its information directly from your Facebook account.

After a few seconds of processing, it provides a list of possible matches, which you can “like” or “skip.” It’s also available on the iPhone.

The same rules apply even on Facebook. Beware of who’s out there. And be honest about what you want, and don’t want. Lying about it could be the difference between a long life together, and a long life searching.

?Because we had some of the same values, the things we had listed in common at the time, it matched – we are living happily ever after,? said Alesi.