And today I will complain about my love life... because everyone enjoys hearing about someone else's misery, right?

Believe it or not, The Fool is still single. What do you mean you believe it!? I've done a lot of dating in the last 2 years, had a few relationships that lasted a while, but I really kicked it up a notch in the last 2 months.

I've done it all, picking up girls in a bar, getting friends to set me up with single people, and a lot of online dating sites! I've got one thing to share from the experience. I no longer believe in online dating.

WHAT?!? How can this be you ask? I get it, it's easier to place an order when you have a menu. I want a blonde girl with a college degree, an attractive body, and an interest in a mixture of nerdy and sporty things. Oh, and can I get a side of fries with that too? See, that's the problem. People aren't menus or items to be so simply classified. The cherry on top is chatting online is easy and unrealistic. You'll never know someone by their online persona so why start a relationship with what is effectively a lie?

Last, I find when I go out with a girl I have met online the whole thing feels fake. It's an unnatural setup and every time in the back of my head this little voice yells out "This isn't how it's supposed to be done!"

I realize a lot of people have met their current persons online and some of you reading this may have made it work out great! For me, it just doesn't feel right so as of today (actually last week), The Fool is no longer looking for love in the digital space. I'll stick to the normal "Ram her with my shopping cart" method of getting a conversation started.

Do you think online dating is normal? Acceptable? Dangerous?




Words from The Fool:

Let's see... I've been on some baaaaad dates. Here's a story or two. Date #1: First thing she asks me, "How much money do you make per year?" ... seriously? Not "Hi, I'm so and so?" or "Lets get some food and THEN I will ask you strange questions." And then there was another who simply spent the entire time not talking at all. I would ask a question and she'd just look at me and blink. Just two of the many stories and yet... I have a date in 5 hours. The Fool is nothing if not persistent... or a glutton for punishment. I can't figure out which. No Fooling.

I think online dating is becoming more acceptable. I still think people need to be careful because the internet can still be dangerous.

I don't believe in that, on tv a lot of this cases happen and always end with someone dead.

I am glad I have been married longer than a lot of the people on here are old
Online dating would be a scary thing for me. One reason is that I know that I am a totally different person when I am chatting with someone than I am when I am talking face-to-face with them. I am an introvert. Yes! I really am.
When I am in chat I have the opportunity to consider what I am saying, backspace if it doesn't sound right to me, and even delete entire posts if I feel uncomfortable with them.
In person my mouth blurts things out and then my mind says "That was really stupid!".
I met my husband in a bar several years ago.
We were two of a kind from the very first meeting. I felt comfortable with him and apparently he felt the same about me.
I have read the "dangers" of online dating...but have also meet some people with amazing love stories brought about by chatting before they met.
For myself, I wouldn't want to choose that as an option, but it is an electronic world now!

@D-Squall

There are horror stories for people who didn't meet online too. And just because you hear about it on TV doesn't mean it is the norm.

I don't think there is anything wrong with internet dating, though I've never tried it myself. I think I would prefer it, myself, because I tend to say stupid things when around those I like. ^^; And I blush so easy. Internet meeting really seems preferable.

Not that there is anything wrong with meeting someone in person, either. Personally, I don't meet lots of people though, so... >.>

Of course, I don't see anything wrong with staying single, either.

Depends what you are looking for. I know two couples who MET online.. which perhaps is not the same thing as online dating. They are both doing quite well. Married.

I don't know but all the people who use "G-talk" in my country just went like:

(For example)
Meroko:...
@@@: Hi.
Meroko: Hi.
@@@: Do you have a crushie?
Meroko: Is that your business?
@@@: I feel so lonely...I want a crushie.
Meroko: *censored due to EXTREME rudeness*
@@@: Do you want to be my crushie?
Meroko: No. I don't even know you. *logs off*

=_________= What kind of people are online these days, eh! I think it's dangerous.

I think internet dating is completely unnatural, as with any online relationship. It has its place, I suppose, but to me, the only "real" relationships are the ones that start in the real world. You are more than just your mind; there's a physical element at play, as well, and that can't be translated very easily across the net. I think the internet is mutating the very essence of human relationships.

Ironic, considering I'm typing all this on an online forum, but I keep my online and offline lives separate, as they each serve very different purposes to me. One must tread lightly on the things we were not meant to experience.

Rachael, your posting made no sense to me. In fact, your last sentence is a little eerie.

Meeting on the internet is the modern equivalent of having a penfriend and then meeting in person. It's the same. The only real difference is that these days, the net is so widespread that it has almost taken the place of letter writing. Therefore, all sorts of personalities appear to each other, rather than one to one, as in old-fashioned letter writing.

I once had some online acquaintances who met on our forum and fell in love - they didn't expect it, it just happened. So they took turns visiting each other's countries as their relationship developed and deepened. They were compatible. This experience was no different from any other kind of meeting, whether going out hoping to meet someone or getting to know an acquaintance or colleague better, except that it just happened online.

If young people find that they like an online friend more and more and would like to meet in person, I have a suggestion they might like to consider. How about a family meeting in a public place, such as a restaurant? Both young people could meet with their parents and siblings if liked. That could work out well. If the other party is genuine, as they usually are, the parents could become friends as well.

As for dating services, it’s up to the individual. There is nothing wrong with a dating service, it’s a sort-of replacement for the village or tribal communities of old. There are some who think it’s a practical way of meeting people, part of their network, and others who think it’s definitely not for them, so there is no right or wrong. What is comfortable for you is the only thing that matters. So I say listen to your heart – so to speak.

Fool, I hope you find the girl of your dreams soon, or at least a friend to laugh with. Sometimes the best thing to do is become happily absorbed in your friends, family and hobbies and forget about romance until Cupid’s arrow strikes when you have forgotten about it.

That's okay, no one has to agree with my opinion. I know it's not the common consensus, but maybe that's why I posted it. As for it not making any sense, I pride myself on exactly the opposite, so to be honest, I find your opposition a little hurtful.

All I was saying is that humans were meant to have face-to-face relationships. Anything else should be supplementary, not alternative.

Lets be honest -Internet is not a safe place...and no it was never more dangerous,and no, it is not safer than before nor it will ever be...

Why? Because I can be whoever I want on internet I can be a guy, I can be a girl, I can be 60 years old, I can be 10 years old )) etc I think you see my point.

I don't believe in on-line dating or falling in love with someone that you met on internet and you are chatting all the time. You can never know is that person exactly the way he/she acts on the net.

I don't think I intended this to be about online dating in the sense that you never meet face to face (or you do but after a long time)... but that's interesting that it's something some of you think about

I was thinking more like using a dating site to meet people in real life... well anyway my date last night went very well

-Fool

Haha TheFool scored! XD

Other than being able to fake your physical attributes or maybe even identity on the net ("oh yes, I'm president Obama, wanna date me even though I'm married in RL?" XD), I think online or offline dating have the same dangers; people are how they want to portray themselves in the beginning, and you have to spend a lot of time with them in order to really really know them personality wise. No matter how hard one tries, in time the real personality will out. You think it's impossible for a sleazy drunkard who can't even hold a job to dress up as a professional man during a first date to fool the other person in real life as opposed to online? No.

Bottom line: Exercise caution, yo! Dating is not for the faint-hearted or risk averse

P.S. If you ever find out that your alleged online other half (let's say he's a guy and you're a girl) actually had his brother romance you on his behalf, don't get mad. Go after the brother instead, cause at least that guy knows what to type XD

I'm glad everything went well for you, Fool! You deserve it.

By the way, I apologize if I sounded a bit harsh yesterday. I was going through a migraine at the time, and everything tends to get amplified. In no way am I a technophobe, I just think people need to exercise caution when starting any relationship online. You get a much better impression of someone when meeting in person, and in my opinion, those are the only ones that seem "real" to me. Not that I don't enjoy meeting people online, but they tend to stay online. That's great if it works out for other people; I just prefer the traditional way, myself. Didn't mean to be so cryptic before.

Eh, online dating, in person dating, they are about the same to me. Why? because this whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing is an entirely mysterious concept to me.

Personally, I can't see myself to bother with either because I'm rather introvert-ish and don't like getting close to anyone. Acquaintances and friendships yes, but dating? Naw. that takes too much energy to maintain (ironic since I write teijal/rhen like the plague.)

Also, I wouldn't put much stock into 'in person' dating because they bound to fail more than they succeed, just like online dating lol.

Quote:

One of the times that KTC mirrors my exact same feelings. Dating=Lots of Work
Oh and
Dating= Failing

Golly you guys are Debbie Downers. Where's the freakin romantics in this house?

Work is a funny thing. Everything is work. Work is work, relationships are work, waking up in the morning is work. I think it's more a matter of perspective guys. All things take time and attention, relationships are one of those things that take a lot of both.

Whatever, I'll go be twitterpated by myself if I must. Though really, I don't know if "this girl" is the "one" for that... but she's at least fun.

I want a classical romance like Romeo and Juliet, Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Bonnie and Clyde... are you catching a theme here?

-Fool

I think that's the difference. I don't believe there's a Juliet waiting for me and i think that both Romeo and Juliet were young idiots, unfortunately true lovers xD

... You want a romance that doesn't end well?? 0.o

((Never understood why anyone would want a romance like Romeo and Juliet after reading it.))