Discovering the slightly wacky and weird world of online dating sites

It all started when I read an article on Grist about a new blog they were starting called TreeShagger.  It’s all about ‘green dating.’ That is, finding a person who shares your passion for the environment– a fellow climate-hawk, a vegetarian, or whatever your ‘green’ passion is. A specialized dating site, in other words.  Grist Blogger, Holly Richmond, explained her new blog: “Sacrificing my dignity for your carnal pleasure, I joined five green dating sites under the name “sustainabanger” and exploited their free features in search of Seattle-area love.” Check it out–it’s hilarious.

If you would like to meet singles in the environmental, vegetarian, and animal rights communities, or green singles who love the outdoors, holistic living, personal growth and spirituality, then check out Green Singles

But lest you get the idea that I–or Holly, for that matter– am mocking all dating websites, or even all green dating websites, let me say at the outset that I have only focused on a few, most of which are ones that I found amusing.  It turns out there are squillions of dating webites.  Who knew?  I sure didn’t realize how many there were.  I still don’t know.  I just looked at Holly’s list, then went on to google “online dating sites” and was immediately overwhelmed.  So I clicked on a site that promised the “hundred best dating websites.”  The thing is, while we all know about eHarmony and other big sites that get mass publicity, I suspect anyone who hasn’t gone looking would be as gobsmacked as I was at how many different, and specialized, sites there are.

When I say specialized, I mean right down to  whether you prefer cats or dogs.  You don’t have to fish in the Great Big Singles Pond.  In some cases you don’t even have to be single.  Most sites give you an opportunity to specify various types of preferences, but some sites have already narrowed  down the preferences. If your preference happens to be for girls who are behind bars (as in prison bars, not pubs),  there are sites just for you. meet-an-inmate.com or women behind bars, to name a couple.

Maybe you are an animal lover. (Check out animalpeople.com) There are numerous sites for pet lovers, and dog lovers specifically.  Or even equestrians. Thinking I was being a bit funny, I decided to google “online dating sites for shepherds” to test my theory that there was ‘something for everyone.’   Well, the joke was on me, folks.  There was.

I’m pretty sure if you are looking for something a bit kinky, there will be oodles of choices awaiting your perusal; I didn’t go there.  I did notice, however, that there are a number of Christian dating sites.  christianmingle.com and Christian Cafe, for example.  But if you don’t trust the gods to sort out your lovelife, and prefer to leave it to the stars, then try Starmatch, where you simply have to enter your birthday and gender to get started. I suppose it’s all done with smoke and mirrors.  Or perhaps horoscopes.

Most of the sites charge a registration fee and/or a monthly fee, but even those sites will let you browse a bit before you have to register.  Not surprisingly, you have much greater access once you have ‘signed on.’   There are some totally free sites, like Dream Matches, which is an exclusive dating club for a very select group of singles. Anybody can apply, but you have to be voted in by a panel of judges.  Obviously, only the best looking people get the nod, so I’d suggest you only apply if you are super hot. On the other hand, if you are a person with a “fuller figure” you might want to check out Large and Lovely.

Another interesting site is  lovers2.com. This UK-based website enables you– if you so desire, to have your photo displayed on several large billboards in prominent places  around Birmingham. I don’t know if there’s a dress code for the photo.

One site that confused me a bit–here I’m probably showing my age–was one called Trekpassions.  I immediately assumed it was people who walked the Penines or climbed the Himalayas. (Stop laughing!)   It is, of course, for Star Trek afficionados.  Another site along that line is gorgeousgamers.com, for…gamers.  Or if your taste is for goth, try vampersonals.com.

One of my favorites, simply for cleverness, is Crazy Blind Dates.  The idea behind it is that if you have never had a really awful blind date, then you have no Worst Blind Date stories to tell, e.g. at a dinner party.  So here is your  chance to have a blind date that you can regale your friends about for years to come.
Coool, huh.

I confess: so far none of the aforementioned sites really floats my boat.  None of them seriously tempts me to change my attitude and actually register on a  dating site. However I did come to a category I hadn’t considered before.  How about one of these:

wealthymen.com is a website for women seeking succesful men who make over $100K a year.  And, of course, men who wish to be sought…

The Sugardaddie website is said to be aimed either at people who are seeking a rich person to pamper them, or at rich people who are looking for someone to lavish gifts upon.  (are there really such people?)  Apparently, when you do a search you are asked to specify “golddiggers,” “sugardaddies,” or “sugarmommies”…

Millionaire Mate is a site where  beauty and wealth are key.  Interesting that it doesn’t include millionaire women.
But they probably have their own site.

Profiles on meetingmillionaires.com are verified so there’s no point pretending to be rich if you aren’t, cause you won’t get in!

Here’s a website that caught my eye!  cougarwomen.net is an exclusive site for ‘cougar’ women and the younger men that love to accompany them.  Yeehaw!

Now to my favorite online dating site (theoretically).  It’s the Sea Captain Dating site. The interesting thing here is, they all have beards.  What’s that about?  Is there a rule that says to be a sea captain you have to have a beard? Very strange.  I happen to like beards, so it works for me.  There’s even one sea captain who could almost tempt me to register.  The operative word is “almost.”             MM