Remember when techie magazines used to discuss the Internet for B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) applications? Today one of the hottest topics is H2H – heart to heart. Chocolates and roses are being replaced by broadband and microprocessors and romance seekers of every age are using new technology to pitch woo and find the perfect partner. Business for on-line dating services is booming. Revenue to such sites in the U.S. will surpass $500-million this year, while Canada is comparable on a per capita basis. And this doesn’t include the “networking” Websites like Friendster.com that many people also use to pursue romance.

I think this is great. Finding one’s soulmate is probably life’s biggest challenge, and if eBay can connect Beanie Baby buyers and sellers from around the world, it should be easy for an on-line dating service to match up two lovelorn non-smokers in Penticton, B.C., who enjoy poetry and pizzas, listen to jazz and like to walk in the park.

The appeal of the service is easy to understand. As a friend said to me, “As a woman, where else can I put forward 200 words of well-crafted prose explaining who I am without having the guy interrupt me? And I can explain in detail the type of man I’m after because no matter how specific I am, there will be dozens who still match.”

Not surprisingly, companies have started up to help on-line dating newbies put their best foot forward. They will help you compose your profile and, most importantly, arrange for a good photo. (Ads with attractive photos get up to 10 times the response rate as ads without.) My friend says that photos are usually the biggest failing of newcomers: “I’ve seen guys cut out their wives from their wedding photos or take a picture of themselves in their shaving mirror. I just skip right over those. If they can’t take the time and effort to get a decent photo, why should I bother?” So gentlemen, be forewarned.

One problem of the past is married men and women pretending to be available on singles’ sites. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of view), there’s little need for this sort of duplicity today. A number of sites target people who want to cheat on their spouses. One such service is Toronto-based Ashleymadison.com. Its slogan: “When Monogamy Becomes Monotony.” Business is flourishing.

Of course, basic Net safety means “dater beware.” Most sites offer advice on how to rendezvous with your new acquaintance safely. Some singles prefer sites that are “invitation only” like Friendster.com, so the date is somewhat akin to meeting someone at a house party where you know people in common.

A variation on this theme is offered by Singapore-based Wholivesnearyou.com. This recent start-up uses a person’s postal code to introduce them to neighbours in their “nethood.” The purpose of the site isn’t limited to romance; it’s designed to give big-city residents the feel of living in a small community. You can search for people who live within a block of you or as far away as a 15-minute walk.

It may seem odd to rely on the Internet to introduce yourself to your next-door neighbour when you could simply knock on the door. But studies have repeatedly shown that when a suburban community or condominium complex is wired with high-speed connections that enable such features as full-colour, full-motion video, the interaction among residents increases dramatically.

Using technology to say hello to your neighbour is being taken to a new extreme by commuter train riders in the U.K. They’ve started a phenomenon called “toothing.” Bluetooth is a new technology that allows electronic devices within nine metres of each other to connect wirelessly. So a Bluetooth-equipped laptop, for example, can print to a Bluetooth printer without being physically connected.

On British commuter trains, people with Bluetooth-equipped cellphones are sending short messages to one another. One person can Bluetooth a message to a person sitting a few rows away, but unless the sender says who he is, the recipient won’t know who the message came from. It started out as a fun way to kill time, a substitute for doing the crossword puzzle. It has evolved into an adult cat-and-mouse game. A toothing devotee has even set up a Website to brief newcomers on proper toothing etiquette.

Sound a bit far-fetched? Not really. Technology has changed all of our jobs, so it’s no surprise that Cupid has gone digital too. [ ]

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Don Tapscott’s portal is www.ageoftransparency.com.