Online Dating and Social Networking

Have you ever posted an ad to an online dating site? I have a couple of times since 1998, and it was rather interesting each time. I have met some very nice people out of it, however, never sustained a permanent romantic relationship. While every relationship has boundaries and its own dynamic, online dating is like instant gratification when looking for a dating partner. The lure of the "free profile" is a great fishhook to get you to sign up for the site. Then, you may find your photo being sent to email addresses as a "new match" for men or women that have listed your profile stats as criteria they are looking for.

Funnily enough, the profile I canceled well over five years ago, still exists. All you need to do is log in under that identity on some sites, and your old profile is resurrected and you become active in the market again. Or, better yet, there is the Zoosk application on Facebook that used to tell me when friends of mine were logged in. Yes, you can log into web sites with your Facebook account; just remember, Facebook tracks what you do when you utilize their sign-in application, and may be broadcasting your latest move to all of your Facebook community. Oh the fun I had asking the person how Zoosk was for them, and hearing them stammer about it, wondering how I knew. I showed them how I was being notified whenever they signed in, and that put a stop to the Facebook sign-in activity.

Oh, eharmony...right, the free psychological profile, free dating weekends, free communication....I had listed I was spiritual and not religious. Everyone I was "matched" with at that time were heavily religious. I even had a few ministers and missionaries writing me. Again, once you are in a database, you will receive email from the site asking why you left, and offering you special offers to come back. Match.com is one of the sites that is embedded in advertising everywhere, and has the profile preserved. Plentyoffish, on the other hand, deletes your profile entirely from their database, it genuinely is free, and seems to have plenty of variety.

Am I on a site now? NO. Do I want to be again? I do not believe so, as I have found that a busy life needs commitment to activity in the public sector, not camping out on the internet waiting for Mr. Right. I do belong to a site called Meetup.com which is a great way to meet other people with your same interest. No, it is NOT a dating site. I belong to a couple of foreign language groups to help me study and practice for my classes, and other things like dancing, movies, etc. Families, singles, couples married or not can all find something on Meetup.com, that has hosted events, ratings for people that attend the events, message boards, and gets people out in public to mingle. I highly recommend it for someone looking for an activity partner or group, for an interest that your circle of friends may not share with you.

Just remember:

Be safe
Tell others where you will be
Do not meet people in a remote locality
Have someone telephone you at a prescribed time to offer you an out
Do not have expectations that are unrealistic
If it feels wrong, listen to yourself. Go home.

Life is too short to live unhappily and without finding your purpose. Remember, when you are happy with yourself, you will attract the same type of individuals into your life. I would rather attract the happy people with a positive outlook, than someone that is a pessimist without my same goals and aspirations.




InSTEP 264140P Pacific Cycle 26 in. Dualie Tandem Bike Bicycle (Google Affiliate Ad)