Six most popular dating apps on Facebook

Get Ahead reader Gourav Jain came up with this zany list in response to our reader invite (below).

Gourav, all of 18, is a commerce student pursuing BCom Hons from Calcutta University. He owns a few blogs and web start-ups.

Many members of the lonely hearts club may cringe at the thought of joining dating web sites because it's like wearing a sign that says, 'I'm a member because I'm desperately looking for a date.' There's an air of exclusivity about these sites that some singles may find quite intimidating.

Enter Facebook, the social networking giant with over 600 million members. Facebook is continuously changing the way friends and strangers connect, and the dating game has never been quite the same.

Unlike dating web sites whose existence is based primarily on helping singles find love, or something casual and hence, membership may be limited. Facebook, instead, gathers family, friends, colleagues, classmates, neighbors -- practically everyone. You can post status updates, videos, play games, chat with friends, answer silly quizzes and what have you. So finding love can seem more like accidental, albeit, a very welcome one.

That said, dating apps are sprouting on Facebook at a rate nearly as fast as the speed of thought. With so many apps to choose from, where do you start?

Here's a short background about some of the most popular dating apps integrated with Facebook.

1. Zoosk

This dating web site has active monthly users numbering over 6 million. Zoosk can connect not only with Facebook but also with MySpace and Twitter. The interface is simple and easy to use.

You can send winks, e-mails, or virtual gifts to anyone you find interesting. The app prompts you with potential matches, as well as allows you to share your description of your ideal first date.

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2. Compare Hotness

This dating web site shows you images of two women (or men) at a time. Choose the one you like more and start flirting with him/her. You can send messages but not gifts. Another downside is that you can't search for people in your area, unlike with Zoosk.

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3. Would You Sleep With Me

This is a bit more direct because you can tell someone that you would like to sleep with him or her. You can search for people in your area. Sending message is free but not the gifts.

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4. Meet New People

Flirt with someone by telling the person that you like him or her. You can look for members from your own country. You can send messages but gifting is currently unavailable.

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5. Heartbroker

Allows for a more private experience because it doesn't post notification on your wall or in the news feed that you are using the app.

The user's friends will have to write a testimonial for him or her, eliminating the risk of exaggeration or misrepresentation of oneself to prospective dates. The testimonial will appear on the user's Heartbroker profile.

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7. iWould

This app helps reduce the potential for rejection because if the feeling is not mutual, the person you're eyeing won't even know you're interested in him or her. You would choose from your friend list 1 to 10 people that you have a romantic interest in.

iWould will then cross-reference your choices with those of your friends. If a person you had selected has included you on his list, you will both be notified of the match.

So there -- six of Facebook's most popular dating apps. With some help from any of these apps, who knows you just might get lucky and snag your ideal mate.

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Are you a gadget/gaming wizard? Would you like to write on gadgets, gaming, the Internet, software technologies, OSs and the works for us? Send us a sample of your writing to gadgetsandgaming@rediffmail.com with the subject as 'I'm a tech wizard' and we will get in touch with you.