RICHMOND TIMES – Sep 4 - According to a 2009-10 study by Match.com and the research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, 17% of couples that married in the previous three years met their mates through a dating site. The divorce rate for first marriages in the US is 50% so it's no wonder there are so many fish in the sea. ~120M people worldwide use Internet dating services, says Mark Brooks, editor of OnlinePersonalsWatch. Although sites such as PlentyofFish are free, many are fee-based and accounted for gross annual revenue worldwide in 2010 of $4 billion, according to Brooks. "With online dating, you have the opportunity to ask the tough questions first," he said. "You do your research, and you can communicate safely online." Not only is this an improvement over the personals, he said, it is also efficient and easy on the heart: Online dating sites "promise to help you not fall in love with the wrong person." Sites such as AreWeGoodTogether.com was designed to find out whether couples who are matched, or thinking about becoming so, are a good pairing.by Marci Rich
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