And there is no shortage of niche services for online dating. There are sites aimed at animal lovers, disabled people, and seniors. Others target ethnic and religious groups - Catholics and Jews, African Americans and Latinos. It's not like meeting someone in a smoky bar. She is not comfortable publicizing her last name - for some people there is a stigma attached to finding dates online.
Women are nervous enough about meeting strange guys.
What I'm trying to do is take away a layer of uncertainty. Kay, the consultant, has heard the warnings about people misrepresenting themselves on the Web - but hasn't encountered that problem in replying to about 20 ads in two years. She dated one man for 16 months. To me, it is actually safer than meeting someone in a bar. If they live in my area, I get to check out who they are.