If you thought the basic idea of online dating services was a crazy idea before, then you won’t know what to think when you hear about two new sites in the world of online dating, yes both speed dating and blind dating have gone Web 2.0. (Thank God.) Seriously, not I don’t have to listen to my lonely friends complain. They are always afraid to go to mixers or speed dating sessions because they’re embarrassed. Now they can do this from their living room in their old woman pajamas. With the increasing success rate of dating sites like Match.com and eHarmony.com, it was bound to expand into other realms of dating sooner or later.

WooMe.com brings the speed dating craze online by letting users meet new people live in fast and free speed sessions. You don’t need to fill out any forms or profile descriptions either. All you have to do is find a session that interests you, and in five minutes, you’ll have met five different people. If you don’t find any session you like, then you can create your own and invite friends or strangers to play with you and decide if you are “woo’d” by someone. The site offers an in-browser video and voice capability to deliver the most live interactive experience, where users can play for fun, to hook up, or to meet new people with shared interests. WooMe.com is backed by the same financiers as the widely popular Skype.

If you’re ever bored and/or lonely on a Friday night, then you should check out Crazy Blind Date, where you can coordinate a date on extremely short notice. It’s a great resource for outgoing social people who want a spontaneous adventure. It’s completely free, and there are no annoying ads on the site. When you agree to go on a date, you’ll receive a description of your match. You can even send text messages to each other through the site to help you find each other! You don’t have to commit to a date if you view a description. You will be asked if you’d like to go, and if you say yes, then it is binding. A cool feature is double dates, which you can coordinate, or jump in on one with strangers! The only downside is that it’s still in beta and is only offered in Austin, Boston, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

However, as fun as these sites can be, it’s always a good idea to protect yourself. Running a simple background check on your potential date can put your mind at ease and let you speed date with peace of mind. Sites like PrivateEye.com make it easy and discreet to find out all you need to know about someone fast. Online dating can be a fun way to meet people, but you always want to put your safety first.

So now that there are no excuses, get online, and for Pete’s sake, get a date!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 at 1:09 am and is filed under Where Would I Be Without Friends and Family?... A Vacat. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.