Online Dating had its early roots in brick and mortar dating services. People have always used matchmakers and matchmaking services to find romantic mates. As these services to bring single people together grew, the internet was the logical connection medium, bridging space and time, and reducing the cost of meeting singles through chart rooms and newspaper ads. When 1996 rolled around, the first dating sites were online and growing. And the rest is history. Huge commercial ventures, millions in revenue. And hundreds of niche markets now serve every whim, kink, and desire of adults seeking romantic, sexual, and life long connection.