MY FOX LA - May 23 - In what is being billed as a victory for Carole Markin who says she was raped by a man she met on Match.com, a federal judge today sent her lawsuit against the Internet dating site back to state court. Match.com attorney Robert H. Platt said after the hearing that Markin has little chance of winning the case regardless of the venue. Officials at Match.com have said the company would begin cross-referencing members against the National Sex Offender Registry.
Dating sites endeavour to improve on the real world. They offer a safe environment to meet people online. But people let their guard down because of the 'halo effect.' They find a couple of things they like about someone, then project other qualities on to them. They let their guard down and meet in the wrong venues and share too much info up front. Here's some the Online Personals Watch simple rules for idating safety.
1. Don't give out your contact info or address till you've met a couple of times
2. Meet in a public place (not at home!)
3. Let someone know where you're headed, and have them call you an hour into the date
And research the person on Facebook to see what kind of company they keep. If they don't have many contacts, or they or their friends look scary. They probably are.
Posted by: Mark Brooks | May 25, 2011 at 05:18 PM