owever, I am very well aware that dating sites are actually businesses, and all businesses exist to make a profit. So sites that claim to be completely free must be making their profits somehow (usually through advertising or persuading their members to purchase other services).

This is a kind of dream list for the ideal dating site. Are there any real dating sites that match up? Wel

What would the perfect dating site be like? This is a question I began to give some thought to the other day. Here's what I came up with.

The perfect dating site would have, amongst other things -- and in my personal reckoning -- the following features:

1. A very large database of members, running into millions. The larger the database of single members, the better the chances of finding the ideal person -- that's logical, isn't it?

2. The ability to easily search and find single people locally. It would be no good if I had to spend as long searching as I did finding, or if there were few or no singles in my local area.

3. Good photos of the members and plenty of information about each one. This is an ideal but of course in reality the members themselves provide their photos and write their own profiles, so this is not something within the dating site's control.

4. A way to match me up with other singles automatically. Personally, I prefer to search the personal profiles, but there may be days when I would like to be matched to others automatically. There are sites that use each of these approaches.

5. A way to email other members anonymously and in which personal details are protected. Very important this, I wouldn't want my personal details to be made available.

6. Vetting of each new member to exclude any undesirables, or married members if this is a singles site. Of course, this will involve me being vetted too; everybody would have to be.

7. Be completely free. Wouldn't that be great? However, I am very well aware that dating sites are actually businesses, and all businesses exist to make a profit. So sites that claim to be completely free must be making their profits somehow (usually through advertising or persuading their members to purchase other services).

This is a kind of dream list for the ideal dating site. Are there any real dating sites that match up? Well

of finding the ideal person -- that's logical, isn't it?

2. The ability to easily search and find single people locally. It would be no good if I had to spend as long searching as I did finding, or if there were few or no singles in my local area.

3. Good photos of the members and plenty of information about each one. This is an ideal but of course in reality the members themselves provide their photos and write their own profiles, so this is not something within the dating site's control.

4. A way to match me up with other singles automatically. Personally, I prefer to search the personal profiles, but there may be days when I would like to be matched to others automatically. There are sites that use each of these approaches.

5. A way to email other members anonymously and in which personal details are protected. Very important this, I wouldn't want my personal details to be made available.

6. Vetting of each new member to exclude any undesirables, or married members if this is a singles site. Of course, this will involve me being vetted too; everybody would have to be.

7. Be completely free. Wouldn't that be great? However, I am very well aware that dating sites are actually businesses, and all businesses exist to make a profit. So sites that claim to be completely free must be making their profits somehow (usually through advertising or persuading their members to purchase other services).

This is a kind of dream list for the ideal dating site. Are there any real dating sites that match up? Wel

elves provide their photos and write their own profiles, so this is not something within the dating site's control.

4. A way to match me up with other singles automatically. Personally, I prefer to search the personal profiles, but there may be days when I would like to be matched to others automatically. There are sites that use each of these approaches.

5. A way to email other members anonymously and in which personal details are protected. Very important this, I wouldn't want my personal details to be made available.

6. Vetting of each new member to exclude any undesirables, or married members if this is a singles site. Of course, this will involve me being vetted too; everybody would have to be.

7. Be completely free. Wouldn't that be great? However, I am very well aware that dating sites are actually businesses, and all businesses exist to make a profit. So sites that claim to be completely free must be making their profits somehow (usually through advertising or persuading their members to purchase other services).

This is a kind of dream list for the ideal dating site. Are there any real dating sites that match up? Wel

r members anonymously and in which personal details are protected. Very important this, I wouldn't want my personal details to be made available.

6. Vetting of each new member to exclude any undesirables, or married members if this is a singles site. Of course, this will involve me being vetted too; everybody would have to be.

7. Be completely free. Wouldn't that be great? However, I am very well aware that dating sites are actually businesses, and all businesses exist to make a profit. So sites that claim to be completely free must be making their profits somehow (usually through advertising or persuading their members to purchase other services).

This is a kind of dream list for the ideal dating site. Are there any real dating sites that match up? Wel

owever, I am very well aware that dating sites are actually businesses, and all businesses exist to make a profit. So sites that claim to be completely free must be making their profits somehow (usually through advertising or persuading their members to purchase other services).

This is a kind of dream list for the ideal dating site. Are there any real dating sites that match up? Well, not completely, though there are some that come pretty close. Where most fall down would be on points 5 and 6 above, so some care must be taken by the subscriber in these areas. You can find out about which dating sites may come closest to my ideal by clicking on the links below.