eHarmony starts new casual dating site

Not content with dominating the compatibility testing dating market, eHarmony.com have come up with a site that aims to compete with Match.

Continue Reading Add comment August 29th, 2010

Gay Parship now worldwide

The fact that Parship, the dating site with the most comprehensive compatibility test, has a gay / lesbian offshoot may come as a surprise to you, especially if you live outside of the UK.

Well, now their gay dating site, gay-parship.com has gone international and is available in 9 (count them) different languages.

Check it out if you’re gay and looking for a serious relationship. The way this site handles things like communications and even viewing pictures is a bit different to most dating sites you’re likely to come across. Handy if you’re tired of the more meat-market sites.

If you’re not gay, you might want to give the straight Parship site a go.

Add comment August 23rd, 2010

New online dating forum to discuss online dating scammers

After posting about common online dating scams, this blog has become a bit of a hub of activity when it comes to exposing scammers. The blog posts regarding this issue have become very busy with comments and I think they are becoming difficult to read.

Because of this, I have started a basic forum where things will hopefully be easier. If you’ve come across a scammer, been a victim of online dating fraud or suspect the person you are falling for may in fact be a scammer, please go to the forum and post over there.

The link is:

http://www.onlinedatingbook.co.uk/forum

1 comment July 17th, 2010

BBC Radio Oxford

Well, if you tuned in to BBC Radio Oxford this morning you could have heard me speak about the merits of online dating on Louisa Hannan’s show.

I should have perhaps posted this before the event, but in the (unlikely) case you missed it and are interested in hearing me talk about the disappearing stigma, liars and the suitability of online dating for finding a long-term partner, you will soon be able to tune in online and listen to the show, where the first hour was all about finding love. I come in around 10 minutes before the end of the first hour.

Check out this link where I assume today’s show (28/6) will appear in the next couple of days.

I’m always happy to speak about online dating on the radio. Especially when reminded that the stigma is indeed disappearing and people are indeed realising that it’s actually a viable way to meet people.

I’ve met quite a few couples recently who’ve met online, including people in their 60s and 70s. The system works!

Add comment June 28th, 2010

An online dating sites for fans of Apple?

Niche dating sites are all the rage nowadays, aimed at people who value certain aspects of their lives and want to start off their search for love by looking for people who share their interests and hobbies.
Now there is a site dedicated to fans of Apple, the company and its products. The new site, Cupidtino requires all its users to be owners of an Apple device and to be enamoured with it.

Continue Reading 1 comment May 6th, 2010

Online dating better for marriage than meeting in bars

Here’s a bit of interesting news – online dating apparently yields more marriages than meeting people in bars. It’s now the third most common method of meeting people for marriage.

Continue Reading 2 comments May 3rd, 2010

Ashley Madison to open in the UK

US cheaters’ dating website, Ashley Madison is apparently going to expand to the UK market. I can’t wait to see the response their incredibly annoying ads will get in the UK. Apparently UK cheaters looking to have affairs can already register on the site, but there hasn’t been any marketing done yet in the UK.

For the record, I think cheating is a complex issue and you can’t (or shouldn’t) judge everyone who cheats and condemn them to hell. I find it sad, more than anything else. Sad that people can be so bad at communicating, they’d go behind people’s backs rather than be open about their own needs with themselves or each other. It’s also sad that in the 21st century there are still people trapped in loveless marriages without being able to legally or safely leave.

On the other hand, I’m not entirely keen on so-called “lifestyle cheaters” – people who knowingly choose to cheat on their spouses / partners because they enjoy the thrill of the forbidden. I’m certainly not keen on sites such as Ashley Madison that actively encourage people to cheat on their partners and then pocket the cash.

Still, I’d rather people who want to cheat go somewhere like that and leave the normal dating sites to actual singles.

What do you think? Will this site get a good reception in the UK? Will ads encouraging people to cheat go down well with the British public?

1 comment April 20th, 2010

Online dating scams on the rise in Australia

The Australian consumer watchdog reports a rise of 30% in online dating related scams. Could it be because people in Australia are becoming more exposed to online dating and are throwing caution to the wind a little bit too much?

With online dating becoming more and more mainstream, there should be more information available about the potential dangers.
People often put their trust in their dating site, sometimes blindly, and no dating site likes to admit that some scammers may have gotten through.
Having worked as a moderator on a dating site I know how hard it is to catch everyone who’s up to no good. We were always aware of how important it is to catch these people before they fleece innocent daters and steal their money, but even with all the hard work we put in, sometimes these scammers managed to con people before we got to them.

Never assume the site you’re on is 100% safe. No site is. You need to arm yourself with information and learn how to spot a scammer, so you can avoid their nasty plots.

Now’s a good time as ever to brush up on your online dating safety knowledge. Here are some handy online dating safety tips from my book.

Add comment March 4th, 2010

Thinking of going speed dating? You’re in good company.

The next episode of House will see the team going speed dating, with apparently hilarious results.

It’s always good to see trends becoming mainstream enough to be featured on top TV shows, isn’t it?

You can watch the trailer for the episode here

If you’re thinking of taking the plunge yourself, you can take a look at my reviews of speed dating and singles’ events companies.

Add comment March 3rd, 2010

My book – in Polish?

Apparently a Polish company wants to buy the translation rights for my book. I never thought I’d get translated into another language, so this is quite exciting.

Add comment October 8th, 2008

Please help my friend

A very close friend of mine has been wrongfully arrested and detained in Dubai since the 26th of January. So far, without being officially charged.

31-year-old Cat Le-Huy, Head of Technology at Endemol UK, was detained and arrested during a tourist visit to Dubai for carrying melatonin, an over-the-counter jet lag aid. Though once in custody Le-Huy tested negative for drugs and his melatonin was cleared by officials, he is still in Dubai jail with no charges and no release date.

Full story can be found on the Free Diz page where you can also donate to his mounting legal defense fund. Talk about Dubai being a tourist trap…

All of his family and friends (myself included) are shocked and worried.

Please pass this on to friends and family. Also, please spread the word around that Dubai is NOT a safe place for Western tourists, regardless of what their advertising campaigns say.

More information about this and other similarly horrible cases can be found on the BBC news site.

Add comment February 10th, 2008

Shimrit on BBC world news

Super-short notice but I will be on BBC World News’ “The world today” at about 7pm UK time, which is in about half an hour or so.

I will be commenting on this news story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6943616.stm

Add comment August 13th, 2007

Buy my book – get some awesome gifts

I teamed up with Topdreamdates.com and Gorgeousdating.com for a prize giveaway.
We’re giving away some Green&Black’s gift boxes and tickets to Amora London.
If you live in the UK and are over 18, it’s worth taking a look.

For the full details, visit: http://www.gorgeousdating.com/?region=19&article=5602

Add comment August 6th, 2007

Away again

I have decided to take a break from my 7-day weeks over the last few weeks and have actually been getting out of London a bit and trying to enjoy “summer”.

This weekend I will be out of town and away from phones/emails until Monday at the very earliest.

Add comment July 26th, 2007

Good morning Humberside!

My interview has finally been rescheduled. I will be on BBC Radio Humberside tomorrow at 9.40am UK time.

Am still unclear as to exactly what they want to talk about, but I am guessing it’s something to do with online dating and the book

Add comment July 3rd, 2007

My interview is cancelled today

Seeing as most of the north of England is covered in water. It will apparently be rescheduled.

Add comment June 26th, 2007

Radio Appearances & latest book news

I was on U105 in Belfast this Tuesday on the lunchtime show, which was cool. My mom listened in from Israel via their website and I was being interviewed from my bedroom in London (it’s the most quiet room in the house). I felt very 21st century.

We talked about the book, online dating safety, how it can help people’s love lives: all the usual stuff.

Next week I will be on a late morning show on BBC Radio Humberside on Tuesday and possibly on BBC Coventry & Warwickshire as well.

Things are slowly starting to pick up. The book is selling and seems to be picking up on Amazon. It’s all getting quite exciting

Add comment June 23rd, 2007

My first copy of the book just arrived!

It’s actually more exciting than I thought it would be. It’s an actual book, with my name on it
I guess you don’t quite realise it’s real until you are holding the actual product in your hand.

Add comment May 20th, 2007

I am testing some things today

Please ignore the weirdness.

Add comment May 19th, 2007

The book is officially out!

Copies should be with the retailers within a week or so. The Amazon buying links on the right should actually work now
I am back from holiday and am trying to sort out things such as press releases and publicity.
Hopefully, things are about to get busy!

1 comment May 16th, 2007

I will be away until the 15th

I’m going away on holiday. Service will resume when I return.

Add comment May 6th, 2007

Leaving Allegran

After 2 years and a few months, I am leaving Allegran. Things have been getting too busy and I forsee a couple of busy months ahead where I will need to concentrate on some serious self-promotion. After that, I will most likely be looking for part time/freelance work so that I can continue working on my writing. I’ve had some great times at Allegran and learned a hell of a lot. I never would have written the book if it weren’t for some of the great people there. It’s hard to leave all my friends behind, but I am quite excited about being able to take the time to do my own thing. Onwards and upwards!

Add comment April 25th, 2007

Buy my book!

I am introducing a news section so I can advertise things to do with the book.
Today’s exciting news is that I’ve added Amazon sales links to the site. The book is available for pre-order from Amazon (and a few other places) already.
I get more money per sale if people click on to Amazon through my site rather than going direct, so if you’re going to buy a copy, please do it via this site.

Thanks

1 comment March 18th, 2007