Poll: Online Dating

[HatchetDown]

Should it even exist or is it useful to an extent? Give me your opinion.

In my experience as a younger fella it is probably one of the most awkward asinine things a kid could do for the sake of having a significant other, while on the other hand it is really useful for those who aren't into the bar/club/speed dating scene. For example my Mom got on e-Harmony and DID meet a really great guy and DID get married and it's been going strong for closing in on 5 years now.

 

[Julianking93]

Never tried it, but I'd imagine it wouldn't work very well.

I could be wrong though. 2 out of 5 couples now a days met on the internet.

 

[Cherry Cola]

I found a girlfriend through a simple site much like this. It was better than a stupid date-site, seeing as how we got to know each other first without having pressure from knowing that we would date.Then comes the police

 

[Pimppeter2]

I dunno. I'm open to new things, but I still think it is kinda weird

 

[MorsePacific]

Meeting people in your area and then forming a relationship with them is all well and good by me, but actually dating over the internet is ridiculous. I've known people who have dated people they've never actually met and it always ends horrifically.

 

[Littlee300]

I have no problem against it, 2 out of 5 couples meet online now-a-days
I am scared of all freaks out there on internet... and you could be possible be talking to someone same sex as you, and you wont even know O:
I do like talking on internet with friends more than real life.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

I dunno, I am more of a 'social interaction by words' kind of a guy rather than making a first impression via a keyboard kind of a person.

Not my cup of tea but I'm sure it floats many boats here.

 

[[Kira Must Die]]

Actually, I did ask a girl out online.

We actually just broke up today, though.

 

[Jou-LotD]

It works well. I'm married with a kid and I met my wife on the internet. Was going to be a quick fling when I went on vacation where she lived, but it turned into something else. I think any way to socially interact with people is a fine way to meet someone. Take the bar for instance, you meet someone (possibly while drunk) and start dating. Do you think that when you are in a dimly lit room for a couple of hours while intoxicated is the best way to find a mate? I would question your judgement. For young businessmen and women alike it is easier to meet online. Partly due to the fact that schedules don't leave a lot of time for socializing and it is easier to go through a checklist of people who have similar interests than to troll a bar and hope you run into the right one.

 

[Inco]

I dunno, I am more of a 'social interaction by words' kind of a guy rather than making a first impression via a keyboard kind of a person.

Not my cup of tea but I'm sure it floats many boats here.

Yea, same here.
I feel that its better to speak to the person physically rather than using words over the internet. I feel that way because it shows that you have the confidence (personal opinion, remember) to speak to them face-to-face. Also, i pay attention to body movements and facial expressions when i do things like that. So doing it all online would sufficiently reduce the way i interact (which is still quite good online from what i hear).

But hey, not everyone is the same, so i guess yea it could work.

 

[BonsaiK]

Should it even exist or is it useful to an extent? Give me your opinion.

In my experience as a younger fella it is probably one of the most awkward asinine things a kid could do for the sake of having a significant other, while on the other hand it is really useful for those who aren't into the bar/club/speed dating scene. For example my Mom got on e-Harmony and DID meet a really great guy and DID get married and it's been going strong for closing in on 5 years now.

It's worked for me. Haven't got any serious relationships out of it yet unfortunately, but I did get laid a couple of times. It's main use is that it's a quick and easy way to weed out unsuitable people. When someone comes on an online dating site and actually has a bit of character, she really sticks out from among all the asinine "I love my family", "I have kids and they mean the world to me" "i lyk 2 party wussup" and "I like going to the beach" type profiles...

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

Should it even exist or is it useful to an extent? Give me your opinion.

In my experience as a younger fella it is probably one of the most awkward asinine things a kid could do for the sake of having a significant other, while on the other hand it is really useful for those who aren't into the bar/club/speed dating scene. For example my Mom got on e-Harmony and DID meet a really great guy and DID get married and it's been going strong for closing in on 5 years now.

It's worked for me. Haven't got any serious relationships out of it yet unfortunately, but I did get laid a couple of times. It's main use is that it's a quick and easy way to weed out unsuitable people. When someone come on an online dating site and actually has a bit of character, she really sticks out from among all the asinine "I love my family", "I have kids and they mean the world to me" and "I like going to the beach" type profiles...

Interesting. I wouldn't have thought so, because the internet is a natural setup for anonymity and caters for people to live out multiple lives. Weeding out anything in this soup, I assume, is harder than picking out a real life con-artist. I would have thought that a physical encounter; body language, conversation, tone and physical reactions will have more of an effect (and thereby preferred) than an electronic response. I guess a lot of this has to do with the mindset of people nowadays. Be it real or online, people just have to try at a relationship.

Maybe it's the lack of pressure or constraints that goes with online dating that makes it seem so lucrative. Then again I wonder, even an online relationship will have to boil down to a physical one at some point if it wants to go anywhere. So, isn't it just delaying the inevitable?.

 

[Terramax]

Actually, I did ask a girl out online.

We actually just broke up today, though.

Whoa, I'm sorry

Anyway, I too am freaked out about the notion of dating online, but seeing as 2 out of 5 do it, I guess it's almost the norm now. I'll give it a few more years of trying the old fashioned way then I might consider it an option.

 

[BonsaiK]

Should it even exist or is it useful to an extent? Give me your opinion.

In my experience as a younger fella it is probably one of the most awkward asinine things a kid could do for the sake of having a significant other, while on the other hand it is really useful for those who aren't into the bar/club/speed dating scene. For example my Mom got on e-Harmony and DID meet a really great guy and DID get married and it's been going strong for closing in on 5 years now.

It's worked for me. Haven't got any serious relationships out of it yet unfortunately, but I did get laid a couple of times. It's main use is that it's a quick and easy way to weed out unsuitable people. When someone come on an online dating site and actually has a bit of character, she really sticks out from among all the asinine "I love my family", "I have kids and they mean the world to me" and "I like going to the beach" type profiles...

Interesting. I wouldn't have thought so, because the internet is a natural setup for anonymity and caters for people to live out multiple lives. Weeding out anything in this soup, I assume, is harder than picking out a real life con-artist. I would have thought that a physical encounter; body language, conversation, tone and physical reactions will have more of an effect (and thereby preferred) than an electronic response. I guess a lot of this has to do with the mindset of people nowadays. Be it real or online, people just have to try at a relationship.

Maybe it's the lack of pressure or constraints that goes with online dating that makes it seem so lucrative. Then again I wonder, even an online relationship will have to boil down to a physical one at some point if it wants to go anywhere. So, isn't it just delaying the inevitable?.

Online dating isn't a substitute for meeting people, it's an enabler of meeting people in real life. Of course body language etc is way more important, naturally. People do online dating so they can meet more people, and then when they do meet, all that other stuff takes over.

In this sense online dating doesn't delay the inevitable, but in fact does the exact opposite. Online dating makes the inevitable happen sooner. If you can see someone's profile on an online dating site and it says that they (random example) like V8s but you can't stand V8s, then that saves you having to have that conversation with them when/if you do meet them, and also saves you having to meet them at all if you find V8s that repugnant. You can narrow down the selection to the things that you feel are important to have in a partner.

Yes people can lie, pretend they are someone else etc etc... but there's honestly no point (scammers notwithstanding). Eventually a meeting will be hooked up and the truth will come out. That is the whole purpose of online dating, to meet people, not to hide behind a computer screen. So anyone with any shred of intelligence on an online dating site will be as honest about themselves as possible, as this vastly increases the chances of finding a suitable person.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

it fails for me hard and I really need to stop doing it

so
many
teenagers >.<

 

[Mushroomfreak111]

Huh, I've never given it a go. First of all, the lazy gamer-chick is not even close to as popular in dating sites as my friends claim, or I'm just plain ugly^^. Also, I feel awkward putting my picture out on the internet just so I can get a boyfriend or girlfriend, mostly so because you never know if one of the people that are interested are in reality a 50-year-old pervert...

A friend of mine met a girl online tho. They are going to meet for the first time in February next year, after "dating" online for half a year. I've remained skeptic, but perhaps they'll make it work...

I dunno, I am more of a 'social interaction by words' kind of a guy rather than making a first impression via a keyboard kind of a person.

Not my cup of tea but I'm sure it floats many boats here.

So what is your cup of tea? How would you go about getting the girl?^^

Yeah, I tend to think guys trying to make a good first impression via keyboard is always trying too hard... Once I was playing WoW and this guy that found out we lived in the same town tried to impress me by telling me he had a brand new BMW, penthouse apartment and kept going on and on about how awesome he was... He did that for half an hour before he realized I was ignoring him! But then again, maybe people in dating sites don't do that...

 

[FolkLikePanda]

I think it's for sad people who fail to get a girlfriend by normal means

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

Should it even exist or is it useful to an extent? Give me your opinion.

In my experience as a younger fella it is probably one of the most awkward asinine things a kid could do for the sake of having a significant other, while on the other hand it is really useful for those who aren't into the bar/club/speed dating scene. For example my Mom got on e-Harmony and DID meet a really great guy and DID get married and it's been going strong for closing in on 5 years now.

It's worked for me. Haven't got any serious relationships out of it yet unfortunately, but I did get laid a couple of times. It's main use is that it's a quick and easy way to weed out unsuitable people. When someone come on an online dating site and actually has a bit of character, she really sticks out from among all the asinine "I love my family", "I have kids and they mean the world to me" and "I like going to the beach" type profiles...

Interesting. I wouldn't have thought so, because the internet is a natural setup for anonymity and caters for people to live out multiple lives. Weeding out anything in this soup, I assume, is harder than picking out a real life con-artist. I would have thought that a physical encounter; body language, conversation, tone and physical reactions will have more of an effect (and thereby preferred) than an electronic response. I guess a lot of this has to do with the mindset of people nowadays. Be it real or online, people just have to try at a relationship.

Maybe it's the lack of pressure or constraints that goes with online dating that makes it seem so lucrative. Then again I wonder, even an online relationship will have to boil down to a physical one at some point if it wants to go anywhere. So, isn't it just delaying the inevitable?.

Online dating isn't a substitute for meeting people, it's an enabler of meeting people in real life. Of course body language etc is way more important, naturally. People do online dating so they can meet more people, and then when they do meet, all that other stuff takes over.

In this sense online dating doesn't delay the inevitable, but in fact does the exact opposite. Online dating makes the inevitable happen sooner. If you can see someone's profile on an online dating site and it says that they (random example) like V8s but you can't stand V8s, then that saves you having to have that conversation with them when/if you do meet them, and also saves you having to meet them at all if you find V8s that repugnant. You can narrow down the selection to the things that you feel are important to have in a partner.

Yes people can lie, pretend they are someone else etc etc... but there's honestly no point (scammers notwithstanding). Eventually a meeting will be hooked up and the truth will come out. That is the whole purpose of online dating, to meet people, not to hide behind a computer screen. So anyone with any shred of intelligence on an online dating site will be as honest about themselves as possible, as this vastly increases the chances of finding a suitable person.

Not saying I disagree with you, it's just that I don't see the logic behind it. I don't see, for example, how an online medium can "enable" someone to meet other people better that a pair of feet and vocal cords can. Sure connecting to an internet site maybe easier than meeting someone on campus or in a gym or what have you but in the grand scheme of things I would have though that a physical interaction with someone would be a much faster and secure way of getting to know someone.

In my mind, online dating is just an additional step that people put themselves in. Because in the end the net result is a physical connection between both people. So if that's what people want, why not go and get it. Why need an "avatar" of sorts to mediate what people really want.

In your example about V8's, sure you may know the person you're talking to likes V8s by their profile but is that alone enough to know that you're not compatible?. A majority of the relationships are not based on 100% compatibility, each person has their dislikes and likes that is unique to them. All the internet and the profile is telling is that one person like V8s and that you don't. You then decide that since its not in your interest group to move on from said person.

Whereas if you had met, you'll probably discover something more. Perhaps not sharing that interest isn't such a big deal because he/she has a character that goes deeper than mere interests. Perhaps they have an accent or smile you really like. Perhaps they drink your favorite kind of alcohol. Perhaps they have an autographed item from your childhood hero. There are things a conversation would yield that an IM can't, physical and emotional things. I strongly believe that a conversation can tell you more about a person than a few lines in a profile.

So I don't see how logical it is to claim that the internet can filter out information for people better than an actual conversation. It'll be presumptuous; like saying the day will be overcast and gloomy based on a weather report rather than stepping outside to find out.

It works for some people though, so I know I am wrong. Doesn't mean my logic is flawed though.

Huh, I've never given it a go. First of all, the lazy gamer-chick is not even close to as popular in dating sites as my friends claim, or I'm just plain ugly^^. Also, I feel awkward putting my picture out on the internet just so I can get a boyfriend or girlfriend, mostly so because you never know if one of the people that are interested are in reality a 50-year-old pervert...

A friend of mine met a girl online tho. They are going to meet for the first time in February next year, after "dating" online for half a year. I've remained skeptic, but perhaps they'll make it work...

I dunno, I am more of a 'social interaction by words' kind of a guy rather than making a first impression via a keyboard kind of a person.

Not my cup of tea but I'm sure it floats many boats here.

So what is your cup of tea? How would you go about getting the girl?^^

Words mostly. Idle chit-chat or talks about anything (fascinating or otherwise) would be my usual ice-breaking strategy. From there on out it's ad-lib. I don't believe there is a protocol (apart from honesty) for these kinds of things because girls are so diverse in and amongst themselves. If I feel that we both are on the same page after a while then there is nothing stopping me from moving on to the next step; the "friends" to "more than friends" stage.

It has worked before, so I know I am not full of hot air.

 

[BonsaiK]

I don't see, for example, how an online medium can "enable" someone to meet other people better that a pair of feet and vocal cords can.

It doesn't, and I didn't say it does.

I would have though that a physical interaction with someone would be a much faster and secure way of getting to know someone.

It is.

I strongly believe that a conversation can tell you more about a person than a few lines in a profile.

I agree.

So I don't see how logical it is to claim that the internet can filter out information for people better than an actual conversation.

It isn't, and furthermore, I never claimed that.

What online dating is, is another option to add to a long list of options for meeting people. While I'm out meeting people in the usual way people normally meet each other, my online dating profile is also sitting there waiting for someone to discover it. Most of the time it sits there and does nothing. Occasionally I get a hit, and then I go and talk to that person online and if I hit it off then I meet that person in addition to all the other people whom I would have met anyway. It's not meant to replace any of the traditional methods of dating. It's just another option that increases the odds by a small margin. It's gotten results for me so I stand by it, and I also know plenty of very attractive, smart women who use it and get success with it too.

 

[Woem]

Ten years ago I met a girl on ICQ. We went out on a date, and then another one, we eventually rented a place together and got married six months ago.