INSIDE BAY AREA — Mar 27 — In Judaism, old-timers will remind you that arranging three marriages reserves your spot in heaven. Matchmakers have seen a jump in clientele from the baby boomer generation. They find out who you are, what you want, screen matches and present you potential mates. All for the cost of an arm and a leg. Fees range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. "You pay any which way," says Eva, a matchmaking client. "If you go out to bars to meet people, it costs money, time and effort. (With a matchmaker), you save time." Kelleher & Associates charges $5,500 for Bay Area clients and $10,000 to $25,000 for multi-city search. "We screen our clients and meet every single one in person." FULL ARTICLE @ INSIDE BAY AREA
Mark Brooks: There are two things a man initially needs to communicate to a woman he's attracted to; 1. he's interested 2. he's safe. Safety and honesty are big issues for online daters. On Friendster and MySpace friends vouch for friends by leaving testimonials. There's less inclination to 'fib' on social networks. Users can also judge others by the company (read network) they keep. Webdate and Tickle are two online dating sites that have successfully introduced 'social networks.'