Read more: http://www.astramatch.com/blog/2009/08/relationships/whats-wrong-with-online-dating-sites/#ixzz0VrSS6pQ3

Not good enough range choices: Someone suggested that online dating sites are still regarded as the place to go for those who are desperate and cannot find a relationship in the outer world.  I’m sure that is not the case but with the walled gardens that online dating sites have erected it may be difficult for some people to find a good match from their existing database.  I wonder why most of the sites don’t open up to connect with users’ social network profiles?  I avidly read Dave Evans posts on OnlineDatingInsider and he often points out what is wrong with the online dating industry and how they can change things.  There is a good archived post from his old blog , have a look at it ‘A Dating Industry Insider Rant’ from his Corante blog.

• Privacy & security concerns: bumping into people in the street that were met online.  Many people don’t like their work colleagues & others knowing that they are dating online and don’t feel safe having their profile exposed on sites.
• Lonely & isolated: there is an unreality to online dating which is totally removed from the rest of your life.  It’s difficult to get advice or support from friends because they can’t see the profiles of those you are interacting with, or not.  It has a major feeling of disconnect and I’m just not sure that it supports great matches for that reason.
• Not fun: most of these sites are just not fun to be on particularly compared to social networks. I have been told that OKCupid is a fun site to be on and I found this test when I was looking at it again The “What’s Wrong With ME?!” Test.  Not sure that it will help you find a good match but should be fun, I guess?

• Social networks better for meeting people: I have been told that the social networks are better for meeting people as the relationships are often more organic.  On the social networks there are loads of conversations happening which would relate to many things, not just dating or finding a mate.  Conversations happen naturally and friendships can develop which sometimes grow to romance which of course is paralleled in real life.  On Susan Mernit’s blog (she used to work for Yahoo Personals) from a post titled Dave Evans: What’s wrong with online dating sites she (or Dave?) summarises some of the problems with online dating sites.
• Not good enough practical tools to support consumers in finding a good match:  This is my added piece to the list because it is my hobby horse.  Also you can check out in detail the reviews of a lot of the sites’ profiling assessments for matching because I’ve reviewed them on this blog.  That is for the sites that have any matchmaking tool or support because a lot of them dont and just expect that you will match by zip code (quote from Dave Evans).  The links to online dating site assessment reviews are as follows: Yahoo Personals; Match.com’s Chemistry ; TRUE ; PlentyofFish ; Parship ; DatingDirect ; OKCupid ; eHarmony ; PerfectMatch ; asoundmatch ; be2 ; Dateline .