By Malynda Fulton
VALDOSTA — Tired of looking for that someone special at the night club or in the produce aisle of the grocery store, millions of people are turning to the Internet and finding love with some help from the cyberspace cupid.
On Friday, The Valdosta Daily Times will launch an online social network and dating service on its Web site. Visitors can access the service by visiting www.valdostadailytimes.com and clicking on the “Personals” icon.
“The new service is a combination of MySpace and Match.com,” said The Valdosta Daily Times Advertising Director Julie Killion. “We have found that several of our online readers are looking to connect with others in the area in a safe environment. The service will provide users with a safe place to meet new people. It’s basically just another avenue to network and connect online.”
The VDT-sponsored personals service allows users to create a basic profile for free and offers monthly access plans of $4.99 for 12 months, $6.99 for four months, $7.99 for two months and $9.99 for one month.
Profiles include information about the user, as well as information about his or her ideal mate, profile pictures, photo albums and the option to invite others to join one’s inner circle. Users can also blow kisses at other members, post comments, block profiles and report members.
“Users will also enjoy the fact that there are no advertisements on this service,” Killion said. “The site will not share any information about a user to third party vendors as well.”
Killion added that the company that hosts the service only works with local newspaper affiliates.
According to Online Dating Magazine, more than 120,000 marriages a year occur as a result of online dating. In 2003, online dating statistics showed that nearly 40 million Americans, 48 percent of single men and 53 percent of single women used online dating services, with 20 million people logging on to at least one site every month.
Online dating is a dating system allows people to contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal, sometimes romantic, relationship.
On the Web
www.valdostadailytimes.com
