Today, everything is about convenience. People want to accomplish objectives efficiently, effectively and, above all, with little to no effort. With this mindset dominating the public, it is not a big surprise that the long cultured art of courting has moved to the digital sphere with dating sites. Internet dating sites developed to aid in finding your perfect match, are increasingly popular and accepted. However, all dating sites are different. What you are going to get when you log on to each site is a diverse mix. Reviews and opinions are mixed at best.

Not every dating site will give great endings. Dating sites usually make you take some kind of personality and lifestyle assessment in order to come up with your ideal "matches." Some of these assessments are rather generic, so your matches will be far from tailored or vetted. Prepare to be matched with someone whose only common trait is a love of Chinese food.

Other dating sites force you to take very specific and probing assessments. The result? You may get rejected! These dating sites only accept what they deem as healthy, happy, stable people as candidates, which is far from fun for our mostly neurotic population. Even if you are accepted, your partnered match may be hundreds of miles away. Makes dating a little more difficult, doesn't it?

Dating sites also charge monthly fees. On top of having to pay for internet access, a decent computer and a digital camera to get your picture on the web, you'll have to pay what is sometimes $20 a month to get your information out there. Still it's a heck of a lot cheaper than winging it on hit or miss encounters at bars and night spots. There are totally free dating sites and you can do things cheaply, but remember, you get what you pay for.

Sometimes what you THINK you want is not what you should be having. Many people really do not know who they are and what they really want, the majority of us only delude ourselves into thinking we know. Trial and error is not a bad thing, and dating sites will usually match you with a number of the same kinds of people, which theoretically can become the equivalent of banging your head against a brick wall.

That does not mean that dating sites cannot be helpful. There are plenty of stories out there about people finding the love of their lives online. It can also be useful to check out a dating site if you're just getting back into dating. However, as with almost all online offers, it is important that buyer beware. A healthy dose of skepticism can be your best friend. Internet dating sites that are superior offer a free trial for you to test drive their wares.