So I’ve been meaning to do a series on my experiences with eDating for awhile now.  I’m a tall man (6’4-6’5″, depending on who’s measuring) in my late twenties, somewhat cursed with the dreaded “computer guy” (nerd) looks.  My success in the bar scene has never been anything remarkable, so I’ve often looked to eDating sites in my search for companionship.  For better or for worse, these sites have often been hit or miss for their own varying reasons.

I have/had accounts on Match.com, OkCupid, and POF (PlentyOfFish).  My hope is to do a series of blog posts on each site.  Since everyone loves quick and dirty summaries though, this has been my take on those “big three” thus far.

• Match.com: The big name in paid eDating.  My biggest gripe with the site? Too many inactive members and/or “bot” accounts.  If you message a woman you’re interested in, she has to be a subscriber to even see your message.  Unfortunately, you have no idea who pays and who doesn’t.  It quickly becomes a shot in the dark as to whether someone’s not reply due to lack of interest or simply due to a lack of a paying subscription.
• OkCupid: Free and feature filled — for the most part.  OKC got purchased by Match.com’s operators back in 2011.  The girls here are generally more active, have more free-form – and thus, completed – profiles.  Sadly, the response ratio is pretty low.  It’s hotly debated as to why, but the two prevailing theories are that the ratio of men to women is way off or that women (and men) simply use OKC to window shop too much.
• PlentyOfFish: Oh, my.  The MySpace of dating sites.  This poor eDating site never seems to know what it wants to be.  The owner, Markus, is always changing the fucking thing.  And by always, I mean always.  The site doesn’t have the technological advantages of OKC, but it has a more active userbase than Match.com.  The big downside? The site feels like a huge sausage fest.  People just seem more randy and less educated.

So which site do I like the best? Thus far it’s been OkCupid.  My profile can be fairly complete, easy to maintain, and the search features are pretty powerful.  With A-List, the paid functionality piece of OkCupid, better features are slowly making their way into the code base so the site hasn’t stagnated like (or as badly as) POF or Match.  At some point I need to try eHarmony.  I feel like they run more a Christian marriage site, so I’ve always been a bit more wary…

Until next time!