This Spring is the third anniversary of Lifeknot, online meeting place for people of all ages, based solely on interests and hobbies. The CEO and founder, Matt Muro, began Lifeknot after using online dating services that seemed to force an instant romantic relationship. “I felt that online dating sites rushed people into the relationship stage of a friendship and social networking sites linked you to so many people that the intimacy of establishing a few close friends was lost,” states Matt Muro. “So to make people online feel more natural, I built Lifeknot with the focus on shared interests.”

Visiting the site with its infinity style logo, you can sign up and begin browsing the wide variety of interests listed. There are over 1,200 activities listed under 45 different categories. Some of the activities listed include: aviation, parapsychology, sports, pets, TV watching and languages. Another great aspect to the site is that if you don’t see an activity listed you would like to see, you can suggest it. This open door policy alleviates anxiety for users. The other upside is that it doesn’t have all the other issues that Facebook or MySpace can have.

This online meeting service also separates itself from other online meeting places by not being solely for singles, but for married people as well. It’s for anyone that wants a connection so they can develop new friendships, or any new relationship of any kind. “We plan on continuing to carve out a niche between online dating and social networking sites,” Muro stated. The ads that are associated with the site are based on specific interest and are therefore relevant and personalized to the subscriber. It’s just another added bonus to the site.

There are over 15,000 subscribers from around the world, with Canada and the UK with the most members outside of the US. Some states have more members than others. The highest ranking states are (in order): California, Massachusetts, Florida, Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Pennsylvania. You must be 18 years or older to subscribe. The largest demographic group is between the ages of 25-34, followed by 24% between 35-44. 17% are 45 or older.

There aren’t any prescribed notions or expectations and the site allows freedom that other online meeting sites lack. One of the biggest draws is that the site is free for its users. One user - Joe Ross of Phillyist - said he would definitely recommend this to his friends: “It’s fun and, just like a melty box of Tom Hanks chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

You can visit the site at: www.lifeknot.com

Image via Flickr.com