A few years ago I recall the looks of pity my friend Sarah would get when she mentioned she'd been trying online dating. I must admit, at the time I thought she must be desperate; couldn't she meet anyone in 'real' life? Didn't she meet people at work, or at parties? I judged her actions and concluded she must be either a bit weird or socially inept. Of course, you know I wouldn't be writing about this if she had never met anyone... sure enough, she met a guy online and fell in love. And he didn't live in Bahrain either, he lived in her town.

Just one experience like this in your own circle of friends can make you question your hasty judgments. So could online dating prove to be a mainstream way of meeting people, or would it remain in the margins of society? Is it humiliating to look for people online?

Well let's say you're busy all day at work (nobody eligible there), you go out twice a week with your usual group of friends (been there, dated them), and the rest of the time you're washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning your home (or more likely a combination of Facebook, TV and surfing the net); realistically, HOW MANY NEW PEOPLE ARE YOU LIKELY TO MEET? Even if you met one new person a week, how many of those are likely to be a good match? One in a hundred? At that rate, it would take a couple of years to meet someone you could fall for. Not bad. But in the meantime, you've spent two years alone!

So let's say you look at these statistics and realize you need to up the odds of meeting someone. You do the logical thing and search a database of three million people on a UK dating site. Isn't it still a bit like shopping for a laptop on Amazon?! Isn't it less 'real' than bumping into someone at a party?

Well is email less 'real' than talking? Be honest, which do you do more of these days? Be even more honest, which mode of communication would you prefer when meeting someone for the first time? THIS was the main factor that converted me. Talking to someone new that you like the look of is hard! Actually initiating communication is WAY easier online; you get to think through what you say and how you're coming across, you don't have to worry about blushing or sweating or your mouth going dry. No more nervous chat-up lines and stuttered introductions. Unless you're a 'player', you'll be REALLY glad of the generous advantages that online communication gives you.

Yes there are negatives - you can't completely check someone out until you meet them in person and pick up on the non-verbal communication. But let's say you meet ten people a week now - even if only one of those turns out to be eligible, you've increased your chances of meeting someone by 1000% over the natural method I mentioned earlier! Can't argue with that.

In conclusion, it didn't take much to convert me. eHarmony claims to be responsible for over 2% of marriages in the USA. That is incredible. A long time ago, online dating seemed to me like a last resort for lonely people. Now I am convinced that it is surely the best place to start.