"Plenty of Fish" Online Dating Site Review

A Review of One of the Best Online Dating Sites

By Rae, published Jul 16, 2007
Published Content: 25  Total Views: 11,320  Favorited By: 2 CPs
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Rating: 3.0 of 5
 
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I had a problem, and that problem was this: I was a single girl on a college campus where girls outnumber guys 7 to 3. Not a pretty picture at all. My television is constantly spouting ads for eHarmony, Match.com, and a zillion other such sites, so I decided to try the online dating scene. However, I'm a poor college kid. I did not want to pay to see if this was something I even liked, so I looked for a free site. My search came back with a ton of results, but as I waded through them, it because increasingly clear that most of these sites were free to join but charged if you wanted to do much of anything. However, among all the "free" sites, I did stumble across one totally free site - Plenty of Fish.

Plenty of Fish is, as I just said, totally free. The owner supports the site by selling ad space on it. It has no employees and is run out of an apartment, yet it is still one of the best sites out there. First of all, it is fairly simple to make your profile. It asks you to fill in some information about your body type, gender, sexual preference and religion and then allows you to list your interests, write your own introduction, and describe what you'd like to do on a first date. You can upload a picture of yourself (or several) if you want, but it doesn't require you to have one.

Once you've made a profile and gotten on the site, you will discover that there are a ton of great resources. You can either search for matches yourself or you can look at the people Plenty of Fish feels you're most compatible with. In fact, you can have a list of who you're supposedly compatible with emailed to you if you want. If you decide to search for your match on your own, the advanced search allows you to narrow down your criteria to a degree that I have not seen on any other dating site, free or otherwise. It even shows you when the person last visited the site. The search will also only show you people who might be interested in you. For example, I, as a heterosexual woman, will never have a homosexual man show up in any of my searches. The site won't allow it.

 
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Comments
Showing Comments 1 - 10 of 10
 
 
POF is a great site for all the different features and there are real people there, I've actually met a couple. I don't have much sympathy for people who don't get answers to e-mails, every site is like that. Or complain about their opinions not being respected when they have nothing intellegent to say. However, the forums are populated with dull minded, humorless people who will run off to the mods and complain rather than actually try to discuss a valid point. The relationship forums are little more than constant re-hashing of the same themes over and over. Apparently, anything and everything can be defined as " trolling ". The heavy-handed mods are definitely the worst feature.

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Posted on 07/18/2008 at 6:07:28 AM

 
It's free. It's worth what you pay for it! Don't question the forum Nazis or you'll be banned! Don't post anything which doesn't sing the praises of this half-assed site!

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Posted on 06/23/2008 at 12:06:21 AM

 
As a dating website plenty of fish is just awful. Most people only go there to cheat on their spouses, to find intimate encounters or some kind of friends with benefits. Few people on there are actually serious about finding love. Most people only open up a profile and stay forever because it is free. For the love of God STAY OUT OF THE FORUMS!! The mods on there are CRAZY! They have a real God complex. If they decide they don't like you or that you have pissed off one of their "mod pets" then you will be on their shit list forever. You know the mod pets by the ones who never under any circumstances get any punishment for breaking rules. They can say what they want to whoever they want and break as many rules as they like and will never be punished. The mods that are currently lording over the forums right now have ruined that place. They play favorites and frequently punish you for no reason. For the longest time I had my voting privilages taken away and I had no idea why.

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Posted on 06/12/2008 at 8:06:24 AM

 
Have you tried ebonydateonline.com? I love this site they have phone chat, webcam chat, 3d chat, chat rooms, forums, mp3 player and so much more i love that the site uses bright colores it is just a fun site they appear to be a new site but i like this site because there is more to do then just sit and surf profiles all day

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Posted on 11/19/2007 at 6:11:00 AM

 
www.freedatingusa.com/plentyoffish.asp too many fake profiles. profiles disapearing for no reason. people joining just to use the forums. too many fat women and women with kids.

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Posted on 11/14/2007 at 11:11:00 AM

 
PART 3 You seem to be having your cake and eating it too... The ol..'Do as I say, not as I do' policy. Someone will challenge your so called...no democracy or freedom of speech in your forums. This guy gets so much money...yet he can't run his forums in a proper fashion. I am under the impression he doesnt pay his meager amount of moderators to police the forums. Talk about cheap. They could care less how one forum contributor treats another by my oh my if you should have a viewpoint that is contrary to his arbitrary forum rules. Its garbage folks...pure garbage. If you can't do it right Markus....don't do it at all...your forums are a joke. The whole data base should be scrapped.

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Posted on 09/26/2007 at 5:09:00 PM

 
PART 2 from below: than you. Hang tough...you're not alone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ With banning people because of their view, i question what Markus Frind, CEO of Plenty Of Fish is afraid of. When you opress people because of their views only insights people to get angry; leaving a foul taste on the whole experience. This is Canada...not Iraq. You have belittled and trashed a Canadian Fundamental Right that has been established since the 1700's; a right and privilege you enjoy....but don't impart within your forum structure on POF. Your rules state under General: c) Do not post Messages that violate Federal, State/Provincial, Local Laws which include, but are not limitd to, anything that violates a Copyright, Trademark, Patent, Trade Secret, or is bound by NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) If your so called guests in your home as you deem your forums analogy is subject to adhere to the laws ... why arent you?

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Posted on 09/26/2007 at 5:09:00 PM

 
Im a Canadian and I got banned myself from the forums for a post whereas I empathized with a fellow forums contributor. It reads as such: The thread was entitled: There is no freedom of speech in these forums. Posted: September 25, 2007 11:13:31 AM I hear ya Josey. You start a thread, it passes the 7 initial delete process, but you then get attacked personally, so the thread direction is broken hence....your thread gets deleted because it gets off topic. Its done deliberitely to styphil you. Frustrating to no end. Instead of people who manipulate the forum rules to their benefit getting ousted ... they are aloud to continue on there merry way with no consequence. I find that some of the forum users caliber to not have the maturity, the ability to challenge or debate with a thoughtful opinion and instead of giving you a run for your money....they head for character assissination. What can I say....not my website...I have no influence over the situation, as it appears,

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Posted on 09/26/2007 at 5:09:00 PM

 
Agreed Plenty of Fish is a pretty cool site and I am enjoying it. In fact I got hooked and then decided to write an article about Internet Dating for this site...that is what got me started with AC. I like the features of this site also, but I also realise that it is important to take safety precautiions. As soon as I get to meet the guy I have been corresponding with (on neutral territory) I am sure to be inspired to write a follow-up...no real names! Good luck to you, and have FUN!

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Posted on 09/26/2007 at 4:09:00 PM

 
I too was a POF member until this week. I made the mistake of making my opinions known on the forum site. I f you are from the USA and have a conservative view, you are on their "radar". I was so disgusted with their attitude that I stopped posting and had my profile hidden for the last 3 weeks. In the last few days they decided to have a "house cleaning". My profile was one of them, I suppose because I was one of the neo-cons. Laughing..... it takes more then your site to silence the conservatives Markus! Because it's free and because it's your site freedom of speech has no space on your site, so be it, I was going to leave anyway. Socializm is yours Markus, enjoy it.......

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Posted on 09/14/2007 at 11:09:00 AM

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