What could stop internet deception?

admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:05:53 +0000

There is a certain level of anonymity on the internet that makes it very comfortable for even honest people to lie. We have all heard about people misrepresenting themselves on online dating websites. Fake internet profiles have become a cliché for numerous Hollywood comedies. People lie about their age, marital status and level of income. Posting outdated, PhotoShopped or fake photographs has become today’s standard in online dating. This phenomenon has caused frustration, mistrust and heartache and forced many singles away from the online dating world. And yet, no dating website has yet to combat internet deception.

Why doesn’t the online dating industry battle this phenomenon?

It’s simple, fighting misrepresentation is not profitable. Additional security costs and closing the doors to a large portion of your clientele would create huge losses for these corporations. All online dating websites focus on large quantities of members. In an ideal world, online dating would be a perfect solution for today’s busy, career-oriented singles. But that would be the case only if dating sites verified the identity of their members, if there were consequences to lying on your profile, and if they screened their members to prevent disappointments right at the registration stage.

The first website in the world that screens and verifies their members was born right here in Canada, in fact, a group of entrepreneurs from Toronto are taking the first step in creating improved online dating. After a year of research and development they’ve completed Eligon.ca, a private single’s community for executives and high-profile professionals. You apply to this website with a resume, sign a legal agreement stating that all the information you’ve given is true, and give consent to ID verification. At this point they screen their members according to a formula that evaluates eligibility by: level of management, education and, of course, income. If an applicant is accepted, they verify his or her details with a non invasive ID report from a credit agency alongside other security measures.Alexander Ratz, one of the founders, says “These methods are as close to perfect as we can get, as we aren’t able to physically see our applicants – but we are doing as much as possible with the means we have available to us today.”
The bad news is that this service is offered to Ontario’s elite only, but plans are in place to launch a Canada wide website by August 2009.
Applying to this club does not cost money. If you are an executive looking for love you can try your luck here.
Could this be the beginning of a new generation of online dating? For now, all others have to settle for regular dating websites and hope that soon enough all other sites follow Eligon’s lead.

A Canadian company changes online dating forever

admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:35:59 +0000

Alexander Ratz, one of the founders, says the idea came while overhearing a conversation between the management at his previous employment. A group of powerful women were sitting around a lunch table sharing horror stories of online dating, from married guys, to criminals; they all hoped for a change in the online dating world that would bring safety and security. Thinking to himself “what if there were a better kind of dating site, one that screens members, one that verifies the truthfulness of the information on people’s profiles and one that punishes abusive behaviors and lying on your profile or posting fake photographs.” Alexander says that after a few interviews and conversations about the subject, he realized that doctors, CEOs, lawyers and other wealthy people in managerial positions wanted, but were afraid to use, public dating websites where they could be seen by their employees, patients or clients. “We understood that single people in top positions were looking for other single people of their status and level of education and had great difficulty using conventional methods. The problem become even more evident for powerful women who were searching for someone who had attained an equal level of management and income, to avoid male ego problems,” says Alexander, laughing.
A year later, after extensive research and development, Alexander and his partner established Eligon.ca, an exclusive and discrete online dating website for the professional elite.
For now the company only offers service in Ontario, with plans to go national by August 2009. Alexander says this population was neglected for a long time, leaving them to either risk their privacy on public dating websites or pay thousands of dollars to expensive matchmaking agencies with a minimal selection of eligible singles to choose from.
They’ve developed a unique screening and verification mechanism. Every member that applies to eligon provides information about their education and employment, signs a legal agreement stating that all the information they’ve provided is true, and agrees to a non-invasive ID verification with a credit agency.
“We also realized that our target audience had different wants, habits and expectations from a dating platform – with an emphasis on security and privacy,” says Alexander. An example of Eligon’s strict privacy practices is that members’ profiles and information are only revealed to other registered members of the desired sex. “We have carefully planned the environment differently from other dating websites, providing a more pleasant experience, a feeling of safety and overall better results achieved by our unique compatibility formula.” This formula, developed with the help of a psychotherapist and a relationship counselor, consists of two parts: the first evaluates core beliefs and values that are a common source of conflict among married couples; and, the second is a computerization of traditional matchmaking practices providing a perfect hybrid of common sense and experience, as they proudly state on their website.
Visit their website to learn more about applying for a membership and eligibility criteria.

Executive Dating Magazine » security

What could stop internet deception?

Why doesn’t the online dating industry battle this phenomenon?

A Canadian company changes online dating forever