Dating is a form of courtship; it can often include any form of social activity carried out by two people, with the aims of assessing the other’s suitability as a partner in an intimate relationship, or as a spouse. The word mainly refers to the act of meeting someone and engaging in an activity that was mutually agreed upon before the actual meet. Traditional dating activities usually include entertainment and or a meal. In different cultures, tradition dictates that a date may be arranged by a third party, often a family member, acquaintance or even a professional matchmaker. Recently, dating via the internet has become very popular amongst people of varying ages worldwide.

Nowadays, dating etiquette is now a lot more relaxed, especially compared to the traditions of the 18^th and 19^th Centuries. For example, when an activity would cost money it used to be that, traditionally, the male was expected to pay, however in recent years ‘going Dutch’, the practice of splitting the expenses, is now more commonly acceptable. As well as this, individuals are now a lot more open about their sexuality, both in the form of dating and in the form of dress, mostly down to the fact that there is now a wider availability of information about what were once very secretive issues. The average duration of courtship, before proceeding to other commitments such as engagement or marriage, varies widely throughout the world, from a few days to years.

Online Dating

Online dating, otherwise known as Internet dating, is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and/or groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, often with the intent to develop a personal, romantic or sexual relationship. Online dating services often provided un-moderated matchmaking over the internet that can be accessed by personal computers or cell phones, allowing people to meet people without the nervousness that comes with approaching people in public.

Nowadays, online dating services vary greatly, some give you a starting quiz in order to assess your ambitions and personality in order to match you on that basis, whereas others let you browse through members, and allow their members to visit you page and instead you can choose to contact these people, or people can choose to contact you. Basic information is almost always required when using these sites, personal details such as your age, the age range you’re interested in hearing from, gender, gender preference and your location. This information is often the starting foundation that will narrow down members on the site to match your basic criteria, eliminating the worry of hearing from somebody the other side of the country etc. Most online dating sights also allow you to upload a photo of yourself, as well as browse other peoples, in order to view potential partners in a physical sense as well as a personal one.

Online Dating Sites

Some websites also offer members other services, anything from webcasts, online chat, telephone chat and message boards. A lot of sites will provide you will free registrations and free match reviews and message reading, however, there is usually a monthly fee to use the service. In some cases, websites will rely upon advertising for their revenue, but this can sometimes cause a disruptive user experience, often caused by pop ups, surveys and other intrusive advertising within the site.

In 2004, the United States spent over $499.5 million on online dating and over $500 million in 2005. By 2011, the United States alone is expected spend even more, coming in at around $932 million. In November of 2004, there were 844 lifestyle and dating websites on the internet. This number has increased as each year has gone by, but is still dominated by popular dating sites such as Match.com, eHarmony and AOL Personals.

Speed Dating

Speed dating as a formalized matchmaking process, or dating system, that encourages people to meet large numbers of individuals in a very unique way. It originates all the way back to Rabbi Yaacov Deyo of Aish Ha Torah, and was originally used as a way to help Jewish singles meet and marry. ‘SpeedDating’ is now a single word and a registered trademark of Aish HaTorah, but ‘Speed Dating’ (in its separated form) is often used simply as a generic term for similar events.

The first ever speed dating event took place at Pete’s Café in Beverly Hills in 1998. Soon afterwards the event exploded onto the scene, as several commercial services began to offer round-robin dating events across the whole of the United States. By the year 2000, speed dating had taken off in a massive way; it received a boost in popularity down to its portrayal in the popular TV show Sex and the City, as something that glamorous people did to meet people. Supporters of speed dating have always argued that it saves a lot of time, as most people decide whether they are romantically compatible within the first few minutes of meeting somebody, and first impressions are often permanent.

How does Speed Dating Work

The way speed dating works is that men and women are rotated to meet each other over a series of very short ‘dates’ lasting anywhere between 3 minutes and 8 minutes, depending greatly on who is organizing the event itself. At the end of each 3-8 minute interval, a bell or noise is sounded in order to signify that the participants move on to their next date. Often, the arrangement will be one will stay the other will move, for example, often female speed daters will remain seated at the same table, and males will get up and move around the room. Once the event has finished, all participants must give the organizers a list of whom they would like to give their contact information to. If there is a match, meaning that person would like to give you their details too, then contact information will be forwarded to both parties. No contact information must be given during the initial meet.

Niche Dating Markets

Nowadays, there are now many different speed dating events and websites available for more niche markets, organizers and dating sites came to the realization that everyone in the world is looking for love at some point, so in order to cater to that, they created for specific speed dating events and sites, such as nights and websites especially for graduates only, gay and lesbian nights and websites, even very specific niches such as book lovers is out there for people looking for love. Other events and sites include ethnic and religious affiliations (such as Christian speed dating) the list is endless and now allows everyone to find somebody absolutely perfect by raising the chances involved.