Spring Break
Love found online
Free dating website caters to college student crowd
By: Kristen Dwyer
Issue date: 2/24/09 Section: Features
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However, with the Web site DownToEarth.com, problems in finding love or companionship online could change.
DownToEarth.com was founded by Jacob Solotaroff for younger singles who want to try online dating.
"DownToEarth.com was designed to attract a younger dater," Solotaroff said. "The fact is that as a college student, you're a lot more likely to meet someone going online than if you always go to the same set of bars or coffee shops."
There are 20,000 daters between the ages of 18 and 25 on the Web site, which is a lot considering the age of the site, Solotaroff said.
Launched in Jan. 2009, Solotaroff said the site boasts a membership of more than 88,000. The site has grown from 500 new members a day to more than 10,000 registrations a week.
Kalee Bumguardner, a sophomore agricultural communications and journalism major, said she would not use an online dating service.
"I think in order to have a real relationship with someone [you have] to connect on a more personal level than the Internet," she said.
DownToEarth.com has established a rating system that allows daters to rate their date and post it on the site.
"The RealRatings system was created to help promote honesty and integrity," Solotaroff said. "Two of the most common complaints of free dating sites are lying and lewd behavior. The feature keeps people honest when creating their profiles and posting their pictures."
Profiles include basic information about the user, including age and hobbies. Matching is based on answering detailed questions rather than choosing the "best" answer.
The rating system can also help in protection for the daters.
"When it comes to safety, there's really nothing more effective than common sense," Solotaroff said. "We tell daters to meet for the first time in a safe, public place and to not give out personal information too soon. Additionally, our RealRatings system should help to some degree because at least you can be more confident that the person you're meeting will be who they say they are."
Patricia Dewey, a freshman communication major, said she would not use an online dating Web site, even if it was targeted toward college students.
"I want someone I have a connection with, either through friends or someone I meet on my own," she said. "I feel people who use them are desperate."
Dewey also said she would not use an online dating site because she did not trust them. Online dating sites, especially free ones, tend to have the connotation of lying and crude behavior, which Solotaroff wanted to address with this new site.
"We created DownToEarth.com because there weren't any clean, free dating sites," Solotaroff said. "Our goal is to create a respectful dating community.
The Web site has zero tolerance for indecent behavior. This policy is strictly enforced by a Member Integrity Team that monitors fraud.
"Unlike many free dating sites, at DownToEarth.com we kick off people for being married, being rude or offensive, posting inappropriate photos, lewd behavior, lying and the list goes on," Solotaroff said.
DownToEarth.com is the sister site to the popular dating Web site Match.com, but they are not the same, which Solotaroff wanted to emphasize.
"When you're 35 and have the disposable income, Match.com is a great option," he said. "But when you're younger and on a tight budget, we'd recommend DownToEarth.com."
To access DownToEarth.com, the viewer has to register, but the process does not take long. Similar to Facebook, it only involves answering a few questions about yourself and creating a profile, which can be as simple or intricate as you want. And remember, it is free.
What students want from a dating site
Honesty
Singles who are serious about finding a relationship, not a one night stand
A simple and straightforward design
Singles in their area
Free
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