Singles no longer have to endure the typical dating scene, trying to attract someone at a local bar or relying on friends to set them up on blind dates. Instead, Absolute Beginner's Guide to Online Dating gives them the tools they need to attract future mates by using e-mail, chat, and the Web. Readers learn how to build an online profile, establish a personal connection through exchanging chat messages, and fill out forms that attract as well as inform. Instead of a one-size-fits-all assessment, this book provides singles with exercises and examples that will give them the knowledge to find the kind of person they're longing for. Dedicated chapters offer advice for specific groups such as the over-50 crowd, gays, and people who only need a date for a special event. The book offers recommendations of the top services and sites for each of these groups, with price and feature comparisons as well as screen shots that show the reader how to navigate through the sites. Complete with stories of successful relationships that originated online and tales of negative experiences to learn from, readers of this book will be reassured that online dating is not only safe and private, but in many ways better than traditional methods.