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From: paveleck@ihldt.UUCP (Bob Paveleck)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Dating Services, Pro & Con
Message-ID: <2274@ihldt.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Mar-84 10:03:29 EST
Article-I.D.: ihldt.2274
Posted: Mon Mar 12 10:03:29 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Mar-84 08:09:52 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 80

In regard to your question about the various dating services available
and how worthwhile they are, here are some of my impressions (I've
either been involved with or are still involved with each of these
services):

(1) Computer dating services: These are one of the cheapest (the one
I was involved with, which is based in the Chicago suburbs, charges
$35 for a 1-year membership), but as the saying goes, "you only get
what you pay for".  You fill out a form with your hobbies, religion,
sexual preferences, etc. and you get a printout with the first names
and phone numbers of people they consider to be comparable to you.
In this case, "comparable" means that the computer has found a hobby
or interest of yours which matches that of some other client.  I
found this to be very lacking in credibility (I mean, almost everybody
likes movies, so the computer will match you up with almost anyone
if you say you like movies.  The whole picture, needless to say, is
not taken into consideration).  Furthermore, this service gave me a
key with the first printout I received which tells you how to read the
printout (e. g., 0 means that the person likes movies, etc.).  If
you don't keep this key, you can't figure out what clients on your later
printouts like, since they don't give you another key.  Overall, I'd
advise people to save their money on these services.

(2) InterActions - This is a widely-known singles organization (often
advertised on radio and in magazines) which proposes to be more personal
than other services.  It charges you A LOT of money (I paid about $600
for this service a couple of years ago, finding out later that they
charge you based on your income.  If you're going to join this service,
by all means, dress like a pauper when you interview with their
people!).  However, you DON'T get what you pay for in this case.  When
you make an appointment for an interview with their people (they had
an office in downtown Chicago, where I went for my interview), you fill
out a very elaborate (around 4 pages) form with your interests,
ideas about friendship, sex, religion, etc.  The form also has some
strange-looking pictures you're supposed to evaluate as some sort of
psychological test.  Anyway, you fill this out and you receive
introductions to other clients by mail (in which the client's name, phone
number and 2-3 sentences describing them is included).  You're supposed
to try to contact the client within 2 weeks of receiving the introduction
(men are told to make the initial contact; women are told to get in touch
with the men if they don't hear anything within 2 weeks) and with each
introduction, you send InterActions a "rating" of your date (personality,
looks, manners, common interests, etc.).  Like computer dating,
InterActions doesn't try very hard to look at the total picture
(which I found to be especially unconscionable because they don't use
computers and you pay so much for it).  In fact, they ignore some questions
on the form where you specified that you WON'T date a particular type
of person (e. g., If you don't smoke, you can denote that you won't go
out with a person who smokes.  I did this, but they sent me a couple
of clients who smoked anyway!).  The "ratings" didn't help much either
(even if you give your date a bad rating, you get the same type of
inappropriate matching in the next introduction).  You are guaranteed
at least 12 introductions in a 2-year period (which is the base member-
ship length), but some of the women clients have had a lot more, as
there are more men in the service than women.  I heartily recommend that
you avoid this service (for both the high cost and lack of attention
to choosing clients for you to date).

(3) Video dating services - I am currently in a service located in
downtown Chicago (called "Sneak Previews").  Naturally, they make
a short videotape of a conversation with you for viewing by other
clients.  You also fill out a form (2 pages long) with interests,
favorite restaurants, religion and they ask you to pose your own question
and answer it (this can give you a little more insight on the personality
of the client).  This service is also somewhat expensive ($275 for a
1-year membership), but the beauty of it is that YOU choose who you want
to date.  The service contacts that person and tells them that you're
interested in him/her and that person can view your videotape and look at
the form you filled out.  You receive an acknowledgement from the service
on that person's response (either a "yes", with the person's full name and
phone number, or a polite "no").  The people running it don't pressure
you at all and they don't give out anything but your first name to clients
until you decide mutually to see each other.  This is, by far, the best
service to subscribe to (if you're going to subscribe to any dating
service at all).

I hope this helps make things a little easier.

					Bob Paveleck
					ihldt!paveleck