Thursday, October 11, 2007

The Dangers Of Adware In Online Matchmaking

Meeting people in clubs and bars are taking a back seat to internet chat rooms and dating sites. For a small fee, you can post your own personal profile for people to see all over the Unites States; and beyond! However, are you really getting your money’s worth? The idea of a bargain is to be able to benefit from it. What if the aggravation of using these sites outweighs the benefits? You may be surprised to learn that the small price you pay now could lead to a bigger headache in your future!

Most people want to meet someone that they can go out with, fall in love and eventually get married. In today’s busy world, finding the time to meet people is getting harder and harder to do. The typical nine to five job is becoming less and less the norm and people are working sometimes ten to twelve hours a day! How is a person supposed to find the time and energy to meet new people? One easy way is people are turning to the internet and matchmaking sites to hopefully meet that special someone. Most dating sites let you create a profile of yourself, such as your bio and what you want in a mate, then let you search other people’s profile for someone you might be interested in talking with. In order to email the person back, you would be charged a small amount so you can talk with other people on the site. The problem is a little something known as adware. This is a program that is usually downloaded on to a computer after software is installed or an application is being used. The adware is usually used to obtain information to help in advertising for a product or company. However, this can lead to bigger issues that could cause problems with your computer!

When you meet someone in a public place, there is little concern of someone you do not know finding out personal information about yourself. If you want, you can tell that person your likes and dislikes, what type of music you listen to as well as the types of movies you like. When you converse on matchmaking sites, there is the possibility of information about you being shared to others. Typical things you might discuss with a person, such as your likes and dislikes, can be obtained by a company and use this to send you advertisements in your email. This can be done with or without your consent. Even if a site warns you that it uses adware for only certain purposes, a third party could be involved and get hold of information you would rather they did not have. Even worse, sometimes forms of adware can lead to problems with you using your internet!
Usually, adware does not cause problems with using your computer. The problem is that it can lead into something known as spyware. This is a program that looks for sites you frequently visit or information that marketers can use. By using something known as ad adware, it can cause you to get overwhelmed with emails about products or other web sites to try. It is bad enough to get this in your mail, your email, and see on the television. However, now you can be harassed just by talking to someone on the internet! Another issue is your internet browser can run into problems. I had problems where I had to buy a program to block against the use of adware and spyware programs. My internet browser became overloaded and would not work at all! If you are not careful, you may find you run into problems that you were not counting on!

There is nothing wrong with trying internet matchmaking. Most people do not have the time or patience to rush home from work and go out socializing. The alternative has been the growing rise of internet dating. As you decide on which site(s) to use, be aware that advertisers use these sites to show off their product. Adware is a common way to do this that can lead you to get more than you bargained for. Make sure you have protection against adware and spyware, as well as doing what you can to protect your privacy. Knowing the dangers of adware will help you take the proper precautions to protect your privacy online. It is important to take these steps so you will enjoy your quest in finding your special someone.



http://www.syl.com/articles/thedangersofadwareinonlinematchmaking.html