Cavemen probably had the easiest time attracting the ladies, but they had to exert the most effort. Captain Cro-Magnon had to build a better fire than the other cave guys and kill a bigger buffalo. He could then beat his chest with pride knowing he was going to get the girl. (Even females of the Jurassic period were material.)

Written language and the printing press provided the first break for man in the dating world. Gutenberg (who must have lacked social skills with the ladies) gave men the chance to level the playing field in the dating world because they could suddenly advertise their intentions for a mate outside of how far they could chuck a rock.

While boulder toss remained a popular approach to getting girls, those who weren't muscle bound meatheads could use a more intimate communication approach. Print advertisements looking for that special someone began showing up in news bulletins from China to Ireland, and the first personal ads were created.

The Americas were a launching pad for personals as many people from all parts of the globe came to one place. Men and also women began placing ads to find friendship and love in a strange, new place. When newspapers began raking in money from those looking for love, the personals industry took off.

As technology improved, the choices people had for making their intentions known increased. Telephone personals became wildly popular, and still are today. Most services that offer print personals now integrate them with a voice mailbox system and 900 numbers.

"The personals business is still a strong producer for us," said Bret Dunlap, President of Advanced Telecom Services which produces personals for The New York Times and over 400 newspapers and radio stations in the USA, Canada, and UK.

The internet made finding love matches even easier and provided a vital pre-screening process that could not be used in newspapers or on phones--the photograph. However, for today's fast paced, mobile society, using only the computer is not fast enough. Cell phones are easily portable and the new, must-have technology. Singles are now finding the best way to meet new people is not in the paper or online, but through their phone.

"Singles who use our service really enjoy the personal touch of using their cell phone," said Darrell Russell, Director of Marketing and Sales for Spark Network Services. It is more comfortable for users to do everything via phone because it's less public. Although it is more of a hassle than registering online, eighty-eight percent of our users have registered through their phones."

Text messaging on cell phones has become the newest evolution in the personals industry. While voice mail boxes, print ads, and the internet provide singles with effective ways to meet a lot of people, mobile text messaging companies like Match Link have made finding someone special discreet, intimate, and instant.

With premium text personals, singles don't have to wait around for their mailboxes to fill with interested people. Once registered, interaction is immediate. Users can send a shoutout to other singles visiting the site or wait for other singles in their area to find them. Women receive a flurry of text messages shortly after registering, while men get instant access to interesting girls who are willing to talk.

Love and relationships are still important to people as a society. However, with text message personals, singles can now find that special someone on the go, something history has never allowed them to do before.