Internet Dating.

Not trying to be rude here, honestly, but do we really need another thread for this? The conversation was carrying on nicely in the Significant Other thread. Again, not trying to be a jerk (since it's hard to tell the tone of voice in a post).

I've found that the social networking sites tend to generally be better for dating than the dating sites. (I was rejected by eHarmony before it was cool; and I still get matches from the Onion's personal site, which I think is one of the better ones.) Facebook was a very good place to "meet" people back when it was small and restricted to colleges. Now I'm one of those assholes.

But, Anderson comma, my dad met his wife on the internet, so I guess it works.

True, but the conversation can lend itself to that as well if a couple met on an internet site. I don't think it would be seen as derailing the topic.

(C'mon, just admit I'm right - you know you wanna! )

After recent meltdowns from the more prominent members of the CHUD community and seeing the subsequent explosion of these types of threads, I'm convinced these are all part of an elaborate meta-joke.

+1 for chud conspiracies.

I'm guessing Dad's wife is NOT your mother...or have we a on the boards?

Ok. I'll take this thread seriously.

I think that networking sites, or pretty much anything other than Match and EHarmony, are better than those two.

I found my current beau through OKCupid, and know many people who have had decent luck finding friends, dates, and sometimes serious relationships through these things.

Yes, there are people who lie. Although they can't put on a mask in real life (the equivalent of fake pictures), the kind of person who'd say they're single when they're married... they'd probably do that to your face, too. Ya just got to weed them out like you would in any situation.

I mean, the basics of dating are the same anywhere. Talk some. Meet in neutral locations. Meet the friends. Visit the houses. At this point it should be getting obvious whether they're being honest, etc. This is the same if you met someone at a bookstore or online. And, no matter where you meet people, you're going to meet a lot of people you don't want to date before you meet a good one... and even more before you find the right one.

It's a small world. If you have interests in common and a similar geographic location, chances are you know some people, places and things in common. I met a guy online maybe two days after I'd met him in person standing in line at a film event, for example. That can help you establish whether they're honest or not.

I know people meet people online. I'm kind of leary, especially after pretty much being a self-imposed shut in thru high school and first year of college. I prefer bars and clubs. Not to mention I'm getting booze out of the deal.

pfh nonsense, I drink all the time when I'm alone. Cuz I know the internet will never leave me.

Unless the power kicks out. Then I have no one to hold me at night.

If I wasn't at work, I'd be drinking right now.

Clearly you work in the wrong kind of place!

Living in this state will do that to people. Plus, we will always, always have the internet. I'm alone and I'm drunk right now!

Anyway, I was honestly surprised from reading the significant other thread how many people actually met their "significant other" on internet dating sites. I'm not against them or anything but I'm just surprised they actually work.

Well, I have no experience with dating sites, but, as I found my fiance on myspace, completely by chance might I say, I only have good things to say. I didnt go on there purposefully looking for anyone or anything to be honest. One of my friends had told me to go join up, since they just had. There's absolutely nothing wrong with finding someone online though, and it really has become the norm of late, not to say that "non-technological" dating isnt still there.

So, you drink alone? YEAHHHH-EAH! With nobody else? So, when you drink alone, you prefer to be by yourself?

(ANY excuse for some George Thorogood up in this bitch!)


I used to date a girl I met through Q-Link, the Commodore 64's answer to the internet, back in the day. (I'm sooooo old.)

Yay for social networking sites! Sites like Match and EHarmony are just creepy, plus you have to pay for them. Forget that! I met my last boyfriend on Facebook, back when it was colleges only. (Yea, it's been a while. Suck it.) It didn't last long enough but we're still great friends. We didn't actually date online, though. We exchanged messages for a few weeks, then started hanging out, and eventually ended up dating after pretty much everyone we knew had already assumed we were together. So it was a pretty normal relationship except that we might never have been introduced if not for Facebook.

I see nothing wrong with Internet dating. It's especially useful for single women who have a child from a previous relationship since it's tougher for them to get out and meet people. I would say it's tough on single guys with no children who look to hook up with single women who have a child from a previous relationship. After a few weeks when the single guy wants to stop seeing the single woman who has a child he has to think of some excuse that doesn't involve the fact that she already has a child. The single guy will try his best to make it seem like the child from the previous relationship isn't the reason but deep down the single woman with the child knows the score, and deep down the single guy knows the single woman with the child knows the score.

But aside from that I see no drawback.

Speaking from experience Molts?

Me? No. Personally I love paying for half of some kid's ticket to Six Flags even though I have no biological connection to them at all.

Ungrateful little shits!

Moltisanti only dates single mothers because it allows him to use 48 hrs dialogue in real life situations.

We ain't brothers, we ain't partners, and we ain't friends! I'm puttin you down and keepin you down until you mother runs out of money or dies. And if she doesn't put out, you'll be sorry you ever met me!

I'm already sorry (that I read this thread)!

I'll bite. Got kind of a cautionary tale, so bare with me.

I did the online thing almost ten years ago, when I was about 19, before the dating sites were in full bloom. Met a girl randomly on AIM, and it was nice at first; we exchanged photos, called each other constantly after the first week of typing, sent each other letters, etc. Being that I was a late bloomer on the dating scene in general, and didn't have many previous dating situations before it, it was kind of nice at first to have someone . . . anyone even.

However, and this is the kicker, I didn't have the know-how, nor the self-esteem to question this girls integrity or claims. All of a sudden, communication was cut off. I tried calling and emailing, but to no avail. No answer. Fast forward six years, and four "real" relationships later, I get an email. She apologized that she couldn't email or contact me during all those years. Turns out when I met her online she was only 15, and not 18 as she claimed at the time, and she was afraid that our "relationship" would be found out by her parents and we would both be in trouble, so she cut off all ties for awhile and moved on.

Now, I'm not saying that dating online these days isn't legit (I hear most of the big sites have background checks and are very successful), but this was my experience and after being in several relationships that are non-electronic after that fiasco, I'll never go back. Ever.

All I know is that I found out through a friend that I am in a picture with a female friend of mine on Match. This creeps me out a bit. At least scribble out my fucking face. I'm not an ex or anything(kind of), but still... odd.

I see nothing wrong with these sites really, it's the modern day equivalent of "pen pals" and such, but with a better chance of sex.

That is kinda strange. It's almost as if she's advertising you as well.

Meeting people online is fine. Keeping in touch via AIM et al is okay. But don't consider it dating, and certainly don't let yourself get too attached, until you actually know each other offline. I'm not directing this at you, daminegood, just general advice coming from a little bit of my own experience. It seems that most people lie when getting to know someone online. Either she lies about her age or he says he's single, failing to mention having kids and still being "technically" married.

That's why I like Facebook and, to a lesser extent, MySpace for social networking. I can get to know friends of friends, sometimes friends of friends of friends, whom I may or may not have previously met offline. There's no pressure since most of us are just out to make friends and have fun, but if something does develop that's great. And it's nice to know that if you suspect bullshit you don't just have to their word for it- you'll usually have at least one mutual acquaintance.

I agree with what your saying, and have made a few acquaintances on MySpace, but I'm not really a MySpace nut like some people and rarely check my page. I mostly rely on school to meet women. Maybe if I was older and nothings worked out I'd try it, but for now I'm kinda old fashioned.

But Damimegood may not have any friends outside of Tom so this would not work for him.

Have you suggested that she cut you out of the picture unless she is advertising for some fun with the both of you? Assuming you'd be down for that, I mean. "Kind of" ex, hmm?

I can think of some pictures like that that my guy friends might be weirded out if I put them up on a dating site, but the picture would look a little strange if I cut them out. ("What is that girl doing with her tongue?!?") Is it that kind of pic, or is she just too lazy and/or computer illiterate to crop a picture in MSPaint?!?

Keep in mind that this was almost ten years ago, before myspace, facebook, etc, and I was 19. The original poster wanted an experience, and I gave one, I wasn't asking for advice. But I appreciate your concern. This shit's water under the bridge.

Yeah, I'm thinking you're young, so I'm not even gonna bite this. Sorry there Chief.

Like I said before, my comment wasn't directed at you. Just further contribution to the thread bouncing off of your description of your experience, since it reminded me of something similar that wasn't quite 10 years ago, but long before facebook and myspace. I'm not a big fan of myspace (too many creeps), but all of the social networking sites have made it a little easier to sort out fact from fiction, though one never knows for sure until the friendship progresses offline.

Eh, I was just breaking your balls.

Yeah, I'm most certainly not part of the deal. It's a totally innocent pic, and a good photo of us, just really bizarre. Who would do that? Maybe she is just lazy or computer illiterate.
She's not even aware that I know the picture is on there. I would tell her to take it off, but we aren't on speaking terms at the moment.

Ah yes, I remember the days of Facebook being colleges only. My fiancee and I met on myspace when that site first opened.

Yeah, I only have a Facebook account, which I started just after leaving college ways back, and it's populated only by old high school and college friends (and a few heads from this fine board) Myspace has always been, to me, rather ghetto and unkempt. It's more for the under 18 set, to me. But, you're right, times have changed where you can now (at least within reason) sort out fact from fiction by using Facebook (not sure about Myspace, though).