DIY internet dating

It’s approximated that two thirds of single people have used online dating, which can mean hours of late-night trawling through unsuitable profiles with a goon box within easy reach.

But there’s a more organic way to meet people online, and all it boils down to is using the same websites you already frequent in order to say g’day to people with the same interests.

From there, it’s just a matter of being proactive by telling someone you like their blog or their pictures, having a chat, a lol, and maybe further adventures in dating. Time Out Melbourne suggests you try these wily ways…

Eat With Me

Eat With Me is an online networking site that brings people together through their mutual love of food. Here’s the premise: you sign up, then find a group of people who are organising a nosh that you like the sounds of, then organise between you who’s bringing what. A group might catch you eye because they share the same passion for a particular kind of cooking, or someone might have the same kind of diet restrictions as you do. If you’re a little shy, Eat With Me gives you something to talk about that’s more than small talk until you feel comfortable to get to know people personally.

Go to: www.eatwithme.net

Cultured chat rooms

A recent study conducted by MIT University found that people have a far better chance of successful face-to-face meetings if they meet on an interactive tour, instead of just browsing profiles. The only interactive tours we’ve found so far are international art galleries and museums, but you could try chat room focus groups – moderated chats based on specific topics. Yahoo Groups is another great medium to meet people online in your area, and then narrow your search via common interests, or there’s Meet Up, which has every kind of amateur interest group under the sun, from rabbit fanciers to coffee lovers. If you want to test MIT’s theory, you can put the word out that you’d like to try some gallery tours and see who signs up for some virtual chin scratching.

Group chat options:
www.xat.com
www.paltalk.com

Starting groups:
www.groups.yahoo.com
www.meetup.com

Interactive tours:
National Gallery of Art, Washington
British Museum Online Tours
The Louvre

Metafilter 

Metafilter is a nifty community weblog, where links and internet content are posted for discussion. But the real candy is the discussion boards, because metafilter is a place where generally interesting, intelligent people who are socially aware get together to discuss the latest events and news. Users then propose meet-ups in their home town, and anyone can go along and chew the fat with them about some of the items they may have both found interesting on Metafilter. It’s a brilliant way of casually meeting up with people who you might end up having a lot in common with.

Go to: www.metafilter.com

Mubi

Still relatively new, MUBI is an interactive online movie theatre. You not only talk about films you love but watch them online whilst commenting to people who are doing the same. You can go looking for kindred souls by looking through the discussion forums, and then invite them to watch a movie with you, or you can watch a movie with a friend and see who else is in there.

We all know that sharing a love of the same films is one of the most certain ways you can spot the people you might want to have a crush on. First you rate films, and make a list of the films that you want to see. You can also see films that you might not have known about until now. It’s a great conversation opener, because you already know what films that person has and hasn’t seen. This is basically an interactive movie going experience.

Go to: http://mubi.com

Some final words of advice about internet dating: DIY dating means you’ll probably pick up friends along the way, so the whole process better reflects real life, where it’s friends who tend to lead you to meet a special lad or lady, which just sweetens the whole deal.

So go forth, boys and girls, and internet date with gusto.