What do you think of online dating?

[Hagi]

Are we talking finding people on dating sites, having a few conversations to get to know them a bit and then going on a RL date, all with the goal of establishing a RL relationship?
If so, then smart thing to do if you're having trouble meeting singles otherwise.

Or are we talking finding people on dating sites and having an entire on-line relationship without ever meeting in RL?
If so, then I don't think that's very smart. On-line contact doesn't really satisfy our need for human contact, it sometimes feels like it does for short periods but on the long run it's just not enough. On-line contacts are a great addition to whatever social life you're comfortable with (even a very small one, just make sure it's not non-existent) but they're not a replacement. And having a relationship that's entirely on-line sounds a lot like a replacement. Which I don't think is healthy.

 

[BarberToad]

It's harmless, and if the couple is happy with that situation, then kudos to them.

I'd prefer to be with someone in the physical world. I'd assume a successful couple would be when the 2 people love their virtues and accept their vices, but when you are dating online you are in some ways hiding quite a few of your problems from your partner.

However, because I'm a big gaming enthusiast, a lot of my would-be dating would happen in teamfortress 2. And hey, shooting a bad guy AND wooing a pretty girl at the same time? How could it get any better?

 

[ZRendZ]

It's harmless and as long as both parties know its just an online relationship then i have no problem with it. If they play it right then it might become a full irl relationship. If both people are happy with it then i really have no problems with it.
Heck, thats the only way i could ever get a gf /emo

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

if you're not regularly in social situations where you can meet potential mates, ie you dont go on many nights out, why the hell not go online. i hate the stigma that surrounds such things.
wether they work is another matter

Captcha
Smoking guns

 

[similar.squirrel]

I created an OkCupid profile after I got dumped and realised that I had never gone out with a girl that didn't make the first move.
Now, it could just be because I'm living in a relatively obscure part of a relatively obscure country, but there is a dearth of nice girls nearby. I got talking to a great Finnish au-pair once [she was into Alan Moore, neo-Victorian stuff.. Plus Scandinavians are great], but she moved back home before we had a chance to meet.
So yeah, it's kind of underwhelming. If I lived in Dublin or Cork, it'd probably be better. Actually, if I was in college again, I wouldn't need to use it.

 

[Avistew]

I don't get dating sites, but then again I don't get looking for a partner on purpose. I've always met people, fallen in love and then asked them out, and if there is nobody I'm interested in, I don't get out of my way to date someone anyways. But it's not specific to online.

However, as far as meeting people online and then having a long distance relationship, I like it better than the real life equivalent. I know I'm in the minority, but it works better for me. Online I get to know the person much better than in real life, and the distance also forces use to wait before being physical, which in my experience has brought me closer to my partners. On the other hand it also has a lot of challenges when you try to finally move together if you're from different countries, and being apart gets very hard once the relationship gets rolling.

I would say my ideal relationship would be meeting online, dating online exclusively for three months or so, then meeting in person, and then dating in person as well as of course still talking online. And after a year or so moving together probably.

 

[Mid-Boss]

I'd never consider an online only relationship as a real relationship. That being said, I met my fiance on a dating site. As long as you meet people who are close enough geographically to make having a relationship viable what's the difference between going on a dating site and going to a bar? Well... there is a difference. The people on dating sites are far less likely to be alcoholics. lol

All my real life friends are female but I wasn't interested in them in that way and it's pretty damn hard to find a cool gamer girl. First because they're rare, secondly gamers aren't the most social crowd what with all the sitting in your living room playing games. So really, I had the choice of going on a dating site or being single.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I think online dating sites should be a step towards meeting in real life, not a replacement. Nothing wrong with getting to know someone over the safety of the interwebs, but you gotta meet face-to-face eventually.

I was under the impression that that is exactly what they're about...

I haven't tried it, but a friend married a dude she met on a dating site, and they're doing great. Completely legitimate way of doing things I think, actually pretty darn efficient when you think about it.

 

[staika]

I made a profile on okcupid one time just to try it out and see what all the fuss was about online dating and I have to admit that I was very underwhelmed. I think it was mostly because that almost every match they gave me I could never see myself dating and I swear all the good looking people on these sites must be made up by the company to keep people interested in the site. Other than that I've always seen dating sites as the last line for very desperate people, and my little time on okcupid basically proved my assumptions to me.