Love, internet style

Technology | Popular matchmaking websites may be blinding singles with the pretense of science | Megan Basham

Illustration by Krieg Barrie

Kathy Rodarme says she might never have tried online dating were it not for the example of a friend. "The site [Match.com] was offering a free month trial and I had a friend who'd met her boyfriend there. She talked me into doing it and helped me get my profile ready because I would have been way too scared to do it otherwise." At first Rodarme's fears were confirmed. She received responses from a few "weirdos" and one man who initially seemed nice but soon began steering their conversations in ways Rodarme found inappropriate.

Then just before the month was up a police sergeant named Rob contacted her and said her personality profile had registered a 100 percent match with his. She decided to give the site one more try, and after several email exchanges and phone calls the pair discovered that not only did they live within two miles of each other, they attended the same church, though at different services. By the end of the week they agreed to meet for coffee at a nearby Starbucks.