I Have a Theory About Match.com....

Ok, disclaimer - I COULD be wrong.  This is JUST a theory.  However....

My theory is match.com (and quite possibly quite a few other dating sites, but who knows) purposely show you 'non-matches' at first.  This way (I'm not sure the exact term for this, but I'm sure there's some psychological term for it) when they show you actual matches, they seem better by compare/contrast factor.

When I very briefly did match, I only put in a couple requirements - within 10 miles of my zipcode (Chicago), 24-40, never married, no children.  This should, in theory, fit a lot.  Yet I didn't feel I got that many matches, and I felt I kept getting quite a few men outside these parameters.  Divorced dad in Plainfield, age 45.  Not so much.  Anyhow.  I am not sure, exactly, if the people at match are purposely doing something funny, but I have my questions.

Also.  I remember the first time I went out and about looking for an apartment in Chicago with an apartment finder service.  The first couple units they showed me were tiny holes in the wall that were way over-priced.  They then showed me something decent that was much more competitively priced - which, comparatively speaking, seemed like an oasis in the dessert.  I almost wonder if these companies purposely rent and maintain crappy units just to show everyone first off the bat, so they are more apt to 'jump' at something decent available.

Anyhow.  I could be wrong.  I am curious if anyone else had similar experiences.  I shouldn't talk too much, though, because I may return to the world of online dating come January.  I figure it's like joining a gym - there's a time when there'll be specials, so I will, at the very least, wait for said specials.