Zogo.com - dating via a cell phone

Zogo.com, a free site that launched in October, offers
the same profile searches available on other online
dating sites, with an important bonus - it hooks its
users up by cellphone. Sounds interesting to me, but
my concern is "can a person 'find where you live' by
having access to your cell phone number? Guess I have
a bit to learn :-)

WHAT IS IT? A free site that offers the same profile searches available on other online dating sites, with one key difference: It hooks its users up by cellphone.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Create a profile and search Zogo.com for potential dates. If you find a profile that interests you, click a button to send a text message to that person's cellphone inviting him or her to chat. If the person is interested, it takes just one more click to connect you to his or her cellphone. A "prowling" function also can alert members to other singles who are out and about and looking to meet someone right away in their vicinity.

WHO BENEFITS? Not for the tentative or shy. For those seeking a more casual way to meet people than through the Internet, where the process of exchanging phone numbers and setting up a date is slower.

Anyone who has tried Internet dating knows that meeting someone online is easy. The difficulty is in moving the encounter off-line. If you're tired of attempting to type your way into someone's heart, a new Saddle Brook-based dating service, Zogo.com, may be for you.

"Chemistry is definitely in the voice," says Jonathan Ressler, Zogo's CEO.

Background checks being debated?

So what might be the problem with this? Here is an excerpt
from the article.

A debate among online dating companies over whether
their websites should be required to say whether they do
criminal background checks on clients has spilled over into
state legislatures, a reflection of the websites' rising
competitiveness.

True.com, a Dallas-based online dating service, started the
ruckus in July 2004 when it began touting its criminal
background checks and wrote proposed legislation that would
force online dating sites to say whether they conduct such
checks. The proposal has been considered by legislatures in
California, Virginia, Ohio, Texas, Florida and Michigan, but
none has passed it.

I'm all for this and I'd prefer to have someone tell me that
they've checked this person out. Sure will keep the frauds
out of the loop, well, the ones who have been already caught
anyway.

source:

True.com

True offers criminal background checks, as well as marital
background checks, and the company says it will prosecute
anyone who commits fraud on their Web site. Brooks calls
these fraudulent abusers "spammers, scammers and obscene
pests."thanks to online dating services such as True.com,
ensuring user safety is becoming a top priority for many
matchmaking companies.

True is even pushing legislation to add background checks
to all dating services, or to at least add a note that
says they don't offer background checks, says Brooks.

"Women need to know that when they go on a date, they're
not talking to a criminal or someone who is married," says
Brooks. "The Internet dating industry is doing a far
better job of getting rid of people who abuse the system
because their brands are attached to the people on their
sites. This is partly because of what True has done with
safety."

source:

I have to say, this is a fabulous idea. I always ask
questions and try to get information on a prospective
mate. Kind of goes back to the, "if it sounds too good
to be true, it probably is"

The Liar - the big lies

These types are very creative, with a wider range of lies:

1. They will lie about their age, height (like I wouldn’t notice??).
2. They will lie about where they live, marital status.
3. They will lie about their job, if they even really have a job!!
4. """""""""""""""""" whether they smoke or not.
5. """""""""""""""""" whether they have kids or not.
6. """""""""""""""""" if they are dating someone else, etc.
7. When you finally meet them, they look nothing like their picture.
8. And last but not least, don’t forget the classic: “I’ll call you”.

Basically, you can tell if they are lying – their lips are moving. They are the most common type found online.

Lingerie anyone? Get to know me first - lol

Before you decide to buy me some sexy lingerie from
Frederick's of Hollywood, I would hope you get to know
me first. That seems to be the general consensus
amongst most women who have seen their share of meeting
all of the Mr Wrongs. Or shall we say, have "kissed
a few frogs".

Yes, women want to feel beautiful whether we have a
man in our lives or not. More and more women are
shopping online with growing frequency. So if
you're looking for the most beautiful, flattering,
sexy styles. Trying to find that perfect New Year's
Eve 2005, sexy party dress from Fredericks.com

And if you're a full figured lady, check out
Fredericks.com Full Figured Favorites

Enjoy your shopping experience.

Busted!!! How to catch an online con!!!

Why do guys online try to use other people's poetry to try
and attract us. Do men think we are so needy that we'll
believe ANYTHING they type to us. OK, so I had talked to
this guy only 3 times maybe and mind you, he came on very
strong, right from the beginning (remember, his is the gal
who had a fella request that I send him 100.00 lolol). OK,
so I'm a pessimist.

OK, back to what happened. This very loving, friendly chap
(yeah right) puts the following phrase into his IM to me.

Love is not about finding the right person, but creating a right relationship. It's not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you build till the end

OK, so I'm thinkin'......Yeah right!!! *rolling my eyes* So I decided,
the secret sleuthe that I am, to google what he had typed to me. Cut
and paste is a wonderful thing.....

So....I pasted that google link above to him on IM....OMG.
...he got so pissed!! lolol Claiming that those were his
words and I'm like....NOT!!!

And this is where our conversation went.....Right down the tubes!!! lolol

His response: what is the meaning of this ?
My reply: I was just checking to see if that was really how you felt or if you had copied it from a poem sight
My reply: so you don't use your own words I see?
His response: damnnnnnnnnn
My reply: damn what?
My reply: you got caught?
His response: what the hell u mean ?
My reply: damn what???????
His response: saying i copied it from another place
My reply: that's what it looks like.........
My reply: word for word
My reply: http://www.txtmania.com/messages/quotes.php - it's right there in the middle of the page........
His response: i hate that
His response: damn u got the wrong person for that
My reply: hate what??
My reply: what do you mean?
His response: am a good poet and compose myself
My reply: well are you saying that someone else said the same exact thing?
His response: i write for hiphop artist and rock artist too
His response: dont u understand always >
His response: ?
My reply: well, then someone has stolen your work
His response: its up to u
My reply: how dare they
My reply: lol
My reply: are you trying to deny the fact that you copied those words from the internet?
His response: i dont not that amdeieing
His response: ok?
My reply: have no idea what you're saying.
His response: i should ask u that
My reply: ask me what?
His response: y did u say am copying it from the internet
His response: then get to search the site for me
My reply: huh?????
My reply: it wasn't very difficult
His response: do that to prove urself
His response: y are u so unappreciative
His response: for me saying all that to u
His response: and u never appreciate what am saying to u
My reply: i would appreciate it if they were your own words and not copied from a website
My reply: plus.........you don't even know me well enough to say those things to me
His response: well thanks
His response: i have to go now
His response: ok ?
My reply: of course
My reply: take care
My reply: and have fun

Did he think I was born yesterday??? For more "love scripts" lol check here:

Legislator considers an online dating law

Sounds like a good idea to me. There are lots of odd ducks out there
and pretty scary people. I tend to do my own background checks anyway
and I always encourage my friends to do them too. You just never know
if the person you might be meeting up with has had criminal charges
brought against them for domestic violence or whatever. Buyer beware!!
We have to look out for ourselves.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Southern Illinois Democrat is considering legislation requiring online dating services to perform criminal background checks to weed out predators that might be lurking on the Internet.
State Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, said he was surprised to learn that these services were not required to perform background checks on members.

"One thing I was trying to come up with is a way to make sure you have a simple background check on somebody before you allow them to advertise," he said. "It seems to me that there should at least be a non-sex-offender requirement."

Bradley said he is considering creating legislation to address this potential problem, but a trade group representing the industry argues the regulation is unnecessary could be expensive and ineffective.

Rich Gosse, founder of the International Association of Dating Web sites, a trade group with over 100 members, said lawmakers mistakenly view online dating as more dangerous than other forms of meeting people.

"We recommend to people that they use common sense when dating on the Internet. Internet dating is not anymore safe or anymore dangerous than any other method of meeting people," he said. "I tell people that you can meet people in church and they could be a hatchet murderer."

Nationally, the Web site True.com has pushed for states to require online dating background checks, a practice that the Texas-based company does itself in least 44 states and Washington, D.C. However, these checks are not always statewide in scope.

In November, True.com filed a lawsuit against a California man who was convicted in 2001 of attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child under age 14. The man had filled out a questionnaire on the Web site stating he was not a felon.

"I challenge the rest of the online and relationship and dating industry to follow our lead and show similar concern for their members' safety," said Herb Vest, the company's founder and CEO, in a related press release.

However, other dating services view the company's proposal as a ploy to push its competitors out of business.

"They are trying to get government to create a monopoly," Gosse said.

Gosse also suggests that in-depth criminal background checks can be expensive and still not uncover a felon's record.

"They still won't be 100 percent safe," he said. "There is no way of doing a criminal background check on somebody all over the country that will go through every courthouse in the United States."

Requiring more background investigations have become a popular for lawmakers.

During the recent veto session, the Illinois General Assembly approved legislation requiring medical schools to perform checks on potential students.

The soonest lawmakers could debate such a proposal would be in January.


source:

OK - the creator of this site had to be HIGH!!!

OMG!!! I want what they were smokin'!!! This internet dating sight
really takes the cake. I can't imagine making arrangements to have
a blind date on an airplane!! Can you believe that crap!! Whatever
floats your boat I guess. This will be interesting to see how well
this online site does. Can't wait to tell my travellers about this.

source:

Website:

Most people have heard of Internet dating services, but one company is taking the concept to new heights -- literally.

A 34-year-old man from San Jose who just moved back to the area is among the smiling faces and interesting personalities listed on the Web waiting to find a match. But this isn't your average hookup.

It's all about giving new meaning to the phrase "the friendly skies" by allowing air travelers to search online for fellow passengers who want to meet up in person on a particular flight.

It's done through a Web site called AirTroductions.com. The site was created by Peter Shankman after he found himself seated next to Miss Texas on a recent flight.

"She was phenomenal and she was the nicest person," Shankman said. "We had a great conversation and the four-hour flight took a very, very short amount of time."
New member Linda Dickerhoof, of Arlington, Va., said getting started was simple.
"You can post a picture if you like," she said. "You can post as much or as little personal info about yourself as you like. You know, male/female, your age range, where you're from, how often you travel."

It is free to set up a profile on AirTroductions.com, and also to do a search of who else is out there, but if you decide you want to match up with somebody before you catch your next flight, that will cost you $5.

"Considering that you're spending hundreds and hundreds on your flight, $5 to make it better is nothing," Shankman said.

Once the fee is paid, the site puts the two members in touch and they take it from there.

"If you meet someone on the site, OK. You don't have to give out any information," Shankman said. "You say, 'I'll meet you at the airport. Let's meet at the Starbucks near terminal C.' "

If there's a connection, it's up to the travelers to go to the airline to actually get their seats changed so they can travel side-by-side.

"We use the Internet all day at work. We use the Internet for grocery shopping, to buy plane tickets, to buy clothing," Dickerhoof said. "You know, using the Internet to choose who you're going to sit next to on the plane -- why not?"

For now, people may have a tough time finding a match on flights because the service is so new, but it only launched a few weeks ago and now there are more than 2,000 members.

More Information:
AirTroductions.com

New Idea for OBS

Shall we try this? Read this article I found. What can it hurt? Shall we post something like this in the local newspapers?

Some Mat-Su unmarrieds look for ways to meet a mate

By KYLE HOPKINS
Anchorage Daily News

Published: November 22, 2005
Last Modified: November 22, 2005 at 04:36 AM


WASILLA -- On a recent Sunday, Angela Helvey sat at the Valley Hotel bar in Palmer with a cup of peppermint tea, a hardcover book of short stories and a sign advertising a new Mat-Su singles club.


Helvey, a 48-year-old substitute teacher new to the area, isn't looking forward to spending the holidays alone. She put out notices encouraging singles to come to the bar Nov. 6 and help her launch the group.

People stole glances at her as she read, but nobody sat down, Helvey said. "I felt like a hooker or something."

Some Valley singles say the region is, if not a romantic wasteland, at least a desert of married couples and people they've known for so long that any past chemistry has long since hardened into friendship.

Lacey McDaniel, 23, grew up in the Mat-Su and said the people she hangs out with are the people she's known since fifth grade. Dating one would be like dating her brother.

McDaniel is a bartender at Schwabenhof, a small, log-sided bar off the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. The sign at the beginning of the driveway depicts a buxom blonde holding three beers in each hand. Inside, all the wooden chairs appear handmade and steins decorate the windowsills.

McDaniel has been thinking of trying to start "speed dating" here, an event that allows people to sit down and talk to lots of other singles for a few minutes at a time, to see if anybody clicks.

But McDaniel said many young locals still see Anchorage and its larger array of restaurants and bars as their best bet for meeting someone. "The Valley is still very, very rural," she said.

Other singles of all ages turn to the Internet, looking for love at sites like Match.com, where a few hundred men and women -- mostly men -- list hometowns in the Mat-Su.

"Still looking for a dancing cowgirl," wrote one 64-year-old Palmer man, who goes by the user name "boots_bluejeans." Another man, 23, from Wasilla, warned he didn't want any "drama queens or drug feens (sic)."

He might want to meet "Outdoors Girl," the 23-year-old Wasilla woman whose Match.com profile says she's a boat captain and is as likely to go to a Hobo Jim or Joey Fender show as she is to spend the night dancing to hip-hop.

Maybe being single is no picnic anywhere, but the numbers hint that things are different here: 59 percent of Valley residents over the age of 15 are married. That's compared with a statewide average of 54.5 percent, slightly higher than the Anchorage marriage rate of 53.7 percent.

"You are a more married place," state economist Neal Fried said.

The news is a little better for Valley women than men. At 108 males for every 100 females, the Mat-Su is a sliver more masculine than the state average.

In Anchorage, the genders are nearly even, with about 102 males for every 100 females, while guys have a particularly tough time in Denali, where there are 139 men for every 100 women, according to Fried's state numbers and the U.S. Census.

Some singles say the Mat-Su's biggest problem is a lack of ways to meet people.

Ryan Johnson, a tall 28-year-old, said he recently finished the commercial fishing season and regularly takes classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage. But Johnson lives in Palmer, and when he goes to a local bar these days, it's to watch football, not in hopes of seeing any single women.

"It'll be, like, five guys and the bartender," he said.

In Wasilla, Helvey hasn't given up on starting a singles group.

Sitting in her living room last week, she talked about the challenges of moving here from Montana in August. Blockbuster DVD cases and paperbacks sat under the television, and a large quilt hung on the wall.

Internet dating services can be too expensive, she said, and men online care mostly about your picture instead of your personality anyway.

Instead, she imagines a regular group that could actually meet for coffee, play games or go to movies and serve as a way for people to widen their social circle.

She said she's encountered an almost bah-humbug attitude toward the idea so far, even among other singles her age, who may have given up on dating.

"Just checking out of life, almost," she said.


Contact reporter Kyle Hopkins at khopkins@adn.com or call 352-6710.




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EDITOR'S NOTE: This story first appeared in Wednesday's Mat-Su section, which is distributed weekly in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.