Oasis.com

Oasis, also known as OasisDating.com is aimed at a wide variety of people. Though it says on it's home page that it's totally free this isn't entirely true. Like other "free sites" (think pof and okcupid) there's actually quite a lot you need to pay for if you want to get the most.

Oasis is international and has a strong following in the United Kingdom and Australia. There are members in a wide variety of age ranges, too.

If you are looking for a long term relationship it can work. However, the site also mentions that it wants the dating experience to be fun for all members.

Getting Started

Joining Oasis is straightforward - there are no lengthy questionnaires or personality tests. Simply fill in the required information on the home page and choose a username and a password.

You'll then be prompted to complete a second page where you may elaborate more about your personality and who you'd like to meet. Some sections can be skipped but it is advisable to complete all parts accurately where possible.

All new profiles need to be approved before they go live, so you will not have full access until your profile is activated. Half completed profiles will likely be rejected.

Once you are approved, the first thing you may want to do is check your privacy settings. Here you can control who sees your profile and who has access to your private photos. They have a strict policy on photos; your main photo has to be a clear face shot - no nudity allowed.

Features

Oasis has a number of unique features; the contact box is a quick message tool that lets you keep track of your friends and contacts there.

Another handy tool is the alerts box. This will notify you of any interesting activity, such as when someone winks at you, when someone accepts/declines your contact request, and when someone views your profile. Alerts can be switched on or off.

"Shout Outs" let you send a message to 1000 of your most recent dating interests to see what the response might be. Be prepared for a busy time writing replies though! You'll need to buy credits to use this feature.

Finding People

There are two search modes: Quick and Advanced. The quick search lets you filter people by basic criteria such as gender, age and location. The advanced search includes just about every option you can imagine - but do remember it will only show results of people who've updated those parts of their profiles.

The Community

Many of the members on Oasis have very descriptive and interesting profiles. You really get the feel that members are truly looking for a special someone. Because Oasis is international, you may find a little difficulty finding a lot of people who are local to you.

However, many do put their location right in their profile description, which may make it easier to find people who are geographically acceptable.

In Conclusion

Oasis is a relative newcomer to the free dating scene, however they have succeeded in gaining a sizable following. Due in part to their novel features and simple format. The site does display ads, though this is the price paid for a free service.

All in all, Oasis seems to be a good site for the serious dater, and you certainly can't beat the price!