February 2001

CRAWLIN' THE WEB

by Kelly J. Calton

   Happy Valentine’s Day! How does the net and love go together? Well...there are places to find someone if you are single. And places to order flowers on line for that special someone, or look for a good place to go on a date. The
possibilities are endless.

LOVE ON THE NET

   Find love on the net? It is possible actually. There are many dating services out there just filled with people looking for someone special. The problem with some of them is they charge a fee for membership. You can take this two ways. Either you can say forget that I’m not paying, or you can think maybe the pay for membership sites might have more serious members that are really looking for someone. Whatever your preference, there’s a ton of dating services out there.

http://www.one-and-only.com

   One-and-only.com is a mixture of the to pay or not to pay sites. You may place an ad for free, but you must be a member to respond to any of the ads that are on line. So basically people can send you emails, but if you find someone interesting you have to join to contact them. Membership runs around $99 if you sign up for a whole year.

http://www.match.com

Another pay for play venue, match.com is around the same price as one-and-only, but seems to have a bigger data base of people. Match.com boasts that they are the biggest community of on line people looking for love.

http://www.friendfinder.com

   Now on to the free dating sites for those of you who are a bit more frugal. Friendfinder.com has over 4,000,000 members, and isn't only for love. You can use friendfinder.com to search for email pen pals, friends, and activity partners. It is a nifty little service, and it is free.

http://www.adultfriendfinder.com

   Adultfriendfinder.com is another free service, but has a twist compared to the other dating services. Adult's slogan is world's largest sex personals. So for those of you looking for something a little spicier, or maybe just someone to send ummmm erotic emails to, check out the grown up and kinkier version of friendfinder.com

CHAT ROOM...

   Outta Site Web Design has revamped the chat room for The Midwest BEAT. New graphics and new features abound in this new version of BEAT Chat! We have added many of the things you like in a chat room, such as having your own text color, and streamlined coding that makes the chat work faster. If you
were a registered user in the old chat room you need to re-register.

Why am I including this information in an article about love on line? Well, we can boast of two marriages among members of our chat group using that room! Most of the people are local to the Chicagoland area, and it is natural that some of them hook up! Check it out at www.outtasiteweb.com/chat/

THE PERFECT DATE...

Once you find that special someone, you need the things to make Valentine's Day go smoothly. You can use the net for a variety of things to make the day go wonderfully!

ftd.com

Women love flowers. Ftd.com is an easy way to order flowers right from your computer. They also have a cool contest going on right now for those of you that order for Valentine’s Day. You can order ahead, and be prepared early this year!

moviephone.com

I am an admitted movie junky. Moviephone.com is by far the best on line movie search I have found. You type in your zip code, and movie listings for your area pop up. I was very impressed by this site when my mother, who lives in a very small town in Mississippi, informed me that they even carry the listings for their small theater.

You can also check out local restaurants and bars in the area while you are at moviephone.com to complete your date. Users can add comments and reviews to the different places.

AND DON'T FORGET...

Why not send that special someone an email Valentine’s Day card? Most are free at places like www.egreetings.com or www.123greetings.com . It is fast and easy, and as a chick I have to let you in on a little secret. We love that kind of stuff, and just like the fact that you are thinking about us! So go do it!

I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day! Until next month, happy surfing!