The rewards are proving enormous.

Spencer Koppel, 64, creator of the site, www.gk2gk.com (the letters stand for "Geek to Geek"), credits his 26-year-old daughter, Laina Van Dyke, with suggesting the idea of the dating site.

The site features an advice columnist named "The Geek Goddess," lists of favorite geek movies, books and video games, and hyperlinks to resources such as a dating forum, a database of board game information and Web sites devoted to geek culture and interests.

Van Dyke said she had become intrigued by online dating sites because some of her friends used them. Her friends who weren't talking about online dating were "complete geeks," she said.

She thought, "Why not put the two together?"

Van Dyke, the daughter of two actuaries, calls herself a geek, though not a quintessential one. She loves science fiction, studied computer science in college, and now works at an insurance company.

Koppel, who has been married to wife Penny for more than 30 years, signed onto some of the "traditional" dating sites and discovered that, indeed, no one mentioned favorite videogames or PDAs, or asked whether a prospective date favored a PC or a Mac.

"They're looking for a cute blonde, or a jock, and have certain height and weight requirements," he said. "I'd be reluctant to put a real picture of myself up there. The kinds of people I see there just don't share my interests."

After little more than a year, the Geek to Geek Web site boasts 10,000 members. Site members pay $19.95 a month, although discounts are available for short periods and for group signups. Part of the proceeds go to charity.

Online dating has grown to a $495 million industry and is projected to reach $595 million in 2010, according to Jupiter Research.

"I get nice e-mails from people saying, 'This is a great site. There's a real need for this,' " said Koppel, a self-described geek.

Koppel reels off what he considers the benefits of online match-making:

*Members maintain their anonymity until they decide it's time to reveal their identity.

*Members use the site's messaging system rather than their personal e-mail addresses.

*The geek site's messaging system allows members to block anyone's in-coming message.

Besides, it's easier for shy people to start a conversation with an e-mail.

"I remember, as a gawky teenager, hating to call a girl because I thought she'd say no," Koppel said.

Koppel acts as an online monitor, reviewing each profile and managing the site. He contracts with a local company, AmericanEagle.com of Park Ridge, to keep the site's design and development up-to-date.

Koppel is gratified by the responses he has received, and especially enjoys e-mails telling him, 'I don't need to be a member any more. I've met someone I'm very enamored of.' "

A Web site member who asked to remain anonymous said his success in meeting a fellow geek has been freeing.

"The biggest thing is that, when I act like a geek, it doesn't bug her," he said. "We accept the quirks in our personalities without being embarrassed about them. It's a lot of fun to meet and learn about someone who's as geeky as I am."

The 28-year-old self-described geek and his 25-year-old girlfriend both speak French and Japanese. They both competed in quiz bowls and attended math and science classes in the summertime while they were in school. The gk2gk member said his other interests are computers, science fiction, Star Trek, Harry Potter and reading books such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The gk2gk member urged others to express themselves honestly on the Web site.

"A lot of people [on the gk2gk site] see the word 'geek' in a positive light," he said. "They are looking for those interests that most people would say, 'That's weird.' "

Koppel, who has an MBA, relied upon his business acumen and education to prepare him for his entrepreneurial venture.

Koppel intends to expand his advertising by placing banner ads and excerpts from the Geek Goddess columns on other Web sites so people can click through to gk2gk.com. The setup would call for Koppel to pay a commission for each Web user who clicks onto gk2gk and becomes a member.

David Card, a senior analyst at Jupiter Research, said a small company such as gk2gk can succeed if it knows its audience and spreads its word through viral marketing.

The Web site's success so far has prompted Koppel to consider new niche markets.

"I would think a site catering to people age 50 and older would be attractive," he said.

But success has yet to convince Koppel that he or anyone else understands the whys and wherefores of love.

"I met my wife when I hired her," he said. "I was smitten almost immediately. I can't tell you why. I just knew, 'This is someone who intrigues me.' "