Online Dating

[jen]

I've been having 'interesting' :irked: experiences online looking for a friendship which would hopefully turn into something more. Tonight's experience took the cake when a guy was trying to tell me he was this man (http://profiles.yahoo.com/john_paul710). Puh-lease! He also knew ahead of time what state I was in because his first question was about a local football team. Since I almost never mention my state, I was immediately suspicious. When I asked him how he knew where I was from he said, "I guessed." :roll: Yes, of course I put him on ignore.

What have your experiences been? Two of you seem blissfully happy that I know of. What about the rest of you? Thanks! :group:

[Dawn]

I voted PMD. I'm not to sure about online dating. :erm: Too much like a blind date for me. :tilt:

[-H-]

I know someone at work who did the online thing and found his last 2 girlfriends online .... not too sure how his latest is working out but time will tell.

As for moi ... well i have not in the technical sense done any online dating!

I met Bardmaiden through this site ... yes !

But! We didnt even think about doing the dating thingy until we met in real life at the first UK gather in blackpool ... so i reckon it was not online dating :evil:

unless you count the fact that due to a disparity (i like that word :D ) in geography we have used the KT both old and new to keep in touch ;)

[Apocalypse]

Well, I can't say I've had much experience with online dating.... and I'm not likely to try it any time soon as I'm happily married! :heartbeat

I've known it to work, and not to work.... I think people are lucky to find the right person whichever way they find them.

[Bertrand]

Nope, not for me. I prefer the flesh and blood type dating over the pixels and electronic signal type. :roll: :razz:

[C_ris]

Purple Monkey Dishwasher.

<hasn't tried online dating, doesn't intend to.

[wulfin]

I've had a few that i've had online, however there has always been a "we need to meet IRL". If there is no physical way it would be taken offline, then i wouldn't even try it.

I've moved to the US to be with one that i met online and spent a year there, and them moved back home bringing him with me.. unfortunately because of governmental policies, he had to return to the US and we had to "give up" because there would be no way for us to be togehter legally. *Shrug*

My current love interest is in Holland and he's coming here in february to meet for the first time. I've been talking to him for some 7 odd years online as friends, so who knows what will happen :D Though a return visit there in September and an eventual move for me to the Netherlands is in the works if all goes well. :) ((errrmmm.. anyone feel like giving me lessons in dutch? LMAO))

[Hans]

I would never date online.

Now, that doesn't mean i could never start a relationship with somebody who I met online, there's a big difference in my opinion.

[Brezo3]

I voted PMD. I've never tried it and I don't really need to.

<-- is still in High School and there's plenty of choices hanging around there...at least there were until I made one of them my boyfriend. :D :bouncy:

:note: Heather

[wulfin]

Now, that doesn't mean i could never start a relationship with somebody who I met online, there's a big difference in my opinion.

Errmm.. i believe that's what i was trying to say in my somewhat long windedness... LOL. I'm so UNeloquent.

[Beisla]

I could meet someone online, but I would have to meet them in person fairly quickly.

[Shadow*]

Nope - never.

Due to two bad experiences that a friend of mine has had. In each case the person on the other end 'seemed' legitimate. It then moved onto 'phone calls and finally to meeting. I met them both and thought them 'okay' however at the end of the day one ripped her off....money went missing, mobile telephones etc. small items that could have been mis-placed. The other used her as a free-bee holiday home for his son, she took him places and even gave him spending money as she has kids his age and didn't want to see him left out. His dad picked him up after the 'holiday' and she hasn't heard from him since. On both occassions she was used, an expensive and mistake for a single mother to make.

I daresay there are some honest people out there looking for friendship etc, but I wouldn't want to take the chance myself.

p.s. In the end I introduced her to a friend of mine and they have been together for the past 2+ years. :D (now why couldn't I have thought of that earlier :roll: )

[CLBeilby]

I've only had two experiences with it. One good until a bad breakup, which out of respect for the ex I will not talk about, and Purpy, who I married and had a cute little wigglet with.

[AnnMarie]

I am seven years married to my online romance. I wouldn't have met him any other way, as he's a Brit, and I'm a Yankee. BUT...like any other relationship, you have to be cautious, and take everything with a large grain of salt.

[jen]

posted by Shadow *snip* The other used her as a free-bee holiday home for his son, she took him places and even gave him spending money as she has kids his age and didn't want to see him left out. His dad picked him up after the 'holiday' and she hasn't heard from him since. *snip*

Sounds awful, Shadow! My son has met only two men that I've dated, ever. And that was after I had dated them for a year. I refused to trail men through my home. He's in college now so that's not really an issue.

[Apocalypse]

I would never date online.

Now, that doesn't mean i could never start a relationship with somebody who I met online, there's a big difference in my opinion.

That's exactly it - well put :good:

[granath]

Well put Hans.

My experience with online dating has been scanty, but I don't like the meat market attitude you see just browsing those dating sites. I guess I don't have the emotional resources to handle it. Going out first with one person, then the next, and the next etc, to see who might suit you best. If the first choice rejects you, going for the second etc. That's just not my style. I prefer to meet someone in person and see where it goes, getting to know the other person along the way. The internet can be a good way of introducing people who share the same interest to each other, though, as the OKT proved.

[JayEgo]

I've met a lot of friends online though I would never date anyone in such a way. Too many pitfalls. Once a friendship has been established, then who knows but I doubt I'd use the internet as a place to start looking for a new relationship. You need all the subtle nuances of meeting someone in person to truly know them IMO.

Ja¥son xx

[NeouofPern]

I think that I would.... But I would prefer to take it off-line. (That sounds wrong, doesn't it? :evil: ) Anyway... My best friends are on-line.... The guy I like is too. But... I just forgot what I was going to say! I'm naturally not trusting, so for me to trust someone enough to like him that way.... I trust him with like my life. I wouldn't date someone off of an on-line dating site though.

[JayEgo]

it's sorta safe here!!!And with the word 'sorta' you make a very good point! It's never truly safe online... Less so than in real life I fear!

Ja¥son xx

[Faren]

I don't think I would...if I were single...which I'm not. :evil:

[Kitsch]

I don't think it's something I'd consider...the internet is a fun place, but it's far far too easy for someone to completely lie about themselves and invent a new identity/personality nothing like their real one.

I've always dated people I've got to know through friends and it's served me well :wekiss:

[Lady Miacara]

I had only one online dating relationship at this point and we were engaged to be married, it was the most wonderful relationship I've had to this point but things didn't go well and it ended up in a bad breakup and there are days I'd go back and change everything if I could as I have never found a man like him since even though I've moved on and had two sons. Guess sometimes one never gets over their true love. I know I haven't. Whether I'd do another online dating relationship, not really sure... all depends I guess on the person and me at that period in time.

[Weyrwoman Kalina]

I would never date someone I met online. Many reasons why... but I have a very close friend whose father has been burned more than once by those situations.

So no.. never for me.

[Keio]

Purple Minkey Dishwasher. I would much rather meet the person....well....In Person. But not saying looks count or anything. :shiftyeyedsmilie:

[Keio]

Purple Minkey Dishwasher. I would much rather meet the person....well....In Person. But not saying looks count or anything. :shiftyeyedsmilie: I don't think I'd really like to date online. Personally.:)

[NeouofPern]

I used to be all for it, but now I've seen the havoc that even on-line friendships wreak about your life. Not worth it.

[sglandon]

I am married, so I would not, but I have two opposite-ends-of-the-spectrum stories.

1) One of my friends and co-workers has had, in the past, horrible luck in love. She married two complete losers, and was about ready to give up. She met a guy (about 10 years younger) online about 8 years ago, and they got married about 6 years ago. They are perfect for each other, and they are very happy - would never have met if not for the internet. :D
2) My brother is currently in California, living with a girl he met online. He's been there about 5 years, and the relationship has not progressed beyond the first few months of the relationship, and I don't mean in the good ways. They both thought they were meant for each other, but dating online and meeting a few times did not give them the insight into each other they really needed before making a decision to move in together, and they will never, I think, have the relationship they expected to have. It is really not a good thing. :sad:

I guess online dating is pretty much like regular dating, in some ways. You need to take your time and really get to know someone before you make any kind of commitment.

[Bronze-Dragonrider]

Another PMD here. I haven't had any very serious relationships in the dating sense... but had a couple acquaintences that gravitated toward that, but none turned out well. If I met someone that was in my immediate area, then I *might* consider it, but meeting someone from halfway across the globe and dating them with little chance of getting to see them often, I'd never do that. It just makes things frustrating, and you can never really tell if they're lying or being unfaithful. Just too much uncertainty.

[Keita]

I'd never date online. For one thing, there's the distance involved and chatting on-line, you never really get the full experience of the person (and I don't just mean physical). For me to even consider the idea, the person would have to be VERY close (within an hour's drive) or I won't do it. In that case it wouldn't be on-line dating but on-line meeting. The dating would take place face to face.

Online friendship is another thing entirely. I have several and I value them all. They can be difficult but I think it's worth it ultimately. It's certainly no harder to maintain an on-line friendship than it is maintaining a face to face one.

[Nefermiw]

I actually got to know my husband through a dating site, but I wasn't looking for a boyfriend online at the time. One of my girlfriends had a profile on this site, so I made a profile to be able to see the pictures of the guys that she was thinking about dating. As a girl on a dating site it is difficult not to get mail from a lot of guys, some I read and answered nicely back that I wasn't interested in meeting anybody and some I just ignored 'cause they sounded creepy. One day I got a mail from a guy that had an e-mail at the university in Copenhagen, and I could see that he studied physics. My brother also studied physics, so I know that guys that studies physics usually are harmless nerds. I wrote him back and asked if he studied physics, and he wrote back answering that he did not study physics, but astronomy :D , then I just had to write back one more time 'cause my brothers wife studies astronomy and I asked if he new her (btw, you have to study physics to have a major in astronomy, but I knew that so he didn't fool me :razz:). It turned out that he started studying the same year as my brothers wife, and when I asked her about this guy who wrote me online, she said that he was nice and harmless. We started writing mail back and forth and after sometime we met. 3 years later we married and have now been married a bit over a year.

So, technically I met a guy through a dating site, but on the other hand I also met him trough a mutual friend. One way or the other, I couldn't be happier with any other person on the planet :heartbeat.

[§Honeymouse§]

never would date online, i would want to meet the person in person