Long Relationships

Relationships are amazingly complicated things. We all have them and there is a wealth of media out there detailing the relationship experience. Of course, when they go well they are stuff of fairy tales but when they go wrong then that is when the complications kick in. Who do we turn to when our little piece of heaven starts clouding over?

Most of us turn to our friends for a spare shoulder and advice. If that fails then there is always a wealth of self-help books and websites out there, not to mention the numerous agony aunts and uncles. Dear Cupid is an advice site with a twist - not only can you seek advice but you can offer your own too by simply registering for a free account. Currently there are well over 4000 agony aunts signed up for an account, this means that when you ask a question you can expect a diverse spread of opinion.

This is, of course, can be both a plus and a minus. On the one hand you will get opinions that come from many different angles and experiences and on the other many people will fear stupid or hurtful responses. However, in all fairness to the site’s owners they operate a tight moderation policy and you can expect to be treated well by both site regulars and those passing through. A rating system is also in place for questions and answers which is a further way of maintaining some kind of quality monitor. If all else fails then it is possible to vote for answers to be removed.

Registration for the site is relatively painless and all-in-all it is worth it because you can ‘build’ your presence much easier and interact more with the community. Also, you never know when your individual experience is going to make a difference for somebody else. Your profile is a little simplistic allowing for a short bio and a link along with a picture. Any questions and answers you ask will be logged in ‘your column’ so your record on the site is clearly visible. You can also readily access any follow-ups from question askers as they are marked.

Asking a question and receiving a response is a relative quick process and it is simple to do. However, one slight quibble might be that there is no facility to link back so if you want to ‘update’ a situation you either need to ask a new question (if you want to get some attention) or post a follow-up which could be buried. Questions encompassing all type of relationships are covered and grouped together by category so you can find others are having the same problem as you and see what responses they got.

In addition to the main Q&A section there are also forums for lighter discussions and the facility to mail each individual aunt in private. This adds to the interactivity of the site and they are welcome additions. Design is functional but not spectacular; all-in-all that is the overall tone of the site. It functions and in some way excels at what it does but does not push boundaries. However, given its precise function this is no bad thing, the last thing you actually want when in emotional distress is to be assaulted by bells and whistles, what you want is something simple and easy to get to grips with. If you are in need of advice and looking for somewhere to turn then Cupid can help patch up a broken heart.