Internet Dating. Logical?

[Captain Zechs]

Note: This is not about me, this was inspired by a chat last night that I would like opinions on.

What are your thoughts on internet dating? Personally, I do not think it to be very logical in the least (or safe). Sure, you can think you *know* the person, but in reality, this is simply not true when you have never had face-to-face contact, well, atleast that is my own thought.

Yours?

[KuwabaraTheMan]

*sigh*

I thought you had gotten past this by the end of the chat last night, Zechs.

Look, if two people love each other, they love each other. You don't need face to face contact to confirm that. Sure, it helps, but love conquers all.

Even though a few months ago I might have thought the same things as you, you should understand other people's feelings and be happy for them, not try and break them apart.

[Frank Castle]

A friend of my family's found her husband through internet dating. So it obviously works since they are extremely happy with their marriage.

[XOMiss_Samantha]

Zechs, I really thought this ended last night in the chat.
Way to bring it to a public view....*eye roll*

If some ones in love, some ones in love. Wether on line or not. Love is love and it will always be.
get over it.

[Kury Wagner]

It's another form of meeting. Simple as that. Sure the risks are slightly higher for people who meet online, but online dating isn't new in the least and there are tonnnnnnnnns of people who have had successful relationships with people they met online. Personally, I think strictly internet-based relationships are a little silly. You need actual contact at some point, I think. But there's no problem with long-distance relationships. They happen all the time. If there's enough love, what do the other circumstances matter?

Plus, it has nothing to do with you, so get over it. Find a sense of romance. And try to understand what privacy is while you're at it.

[Eddie G.]

Kury's right. Meeting someone online isn't really much different from meeting someone at a bar. At the same time though, I think it's silly to fall in love with someone online who you've never met. You just haven't really explored a true relationship with that person.

[Ishtar]

You haven't given up about this still? I don't believe there's anything wrong with internet dating. If two people really feel that they are in love, they are in love. Love is the strongest power in the world, and it has no limits, even if it's online.

[HellCat]

I think there's way too much paranoia about people you meet online. It reminds me of my sister who when ever she's made at me describes my online activities as "talking to paedophiles you don't even know". I actually arranged to meet a girl from Texas face to face and everything went fine.

[Mr. Manager]

It's okay to try to find a person to date on a site, but I don't think it's okay to not have actually met the person yet consider them your boyfriend/girlfriend.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

It's okay to try to find a person to date on a site, but I don't think it's okay to not have actually met the person yet consider them your boyfriend/girlfriend.

And why not? If you know them well enough, and plan to meet one day, then what does it matter if you consider then your girlfriend?

What's important is the personal connection, not the physical one. Granted, without physical contact, a relationship can't progress beyond a certain point, but it is silly to say that it doesn't exist until that point.

[Zach Logan]

I think that meeting people online and even beginning the dating process online is fine. I'm going to be brutally honest here and say that falling in love online isn't really possible. You can really learn to like someone to the point where it makes your heart flutter and butterflies rise up in your stomach, but any further than that you need personal contact. Having been in love I'm only trying to put my personal experiences into this conversation. It is the smell of the person, the voice, the personal contact, the personality that you see online is often very different than what you may see in person. As long as you have some sort of contact offline, an online relationship is more than possible. However, it still will face many more hurdles than the normal relationship might face.

I do not think internet dating in this day in age is really dangerous, unless you're stupid about it...

[GWOtaku]

Wow, sensing some hostility in this thread. Never really been to this forum, but my two cents: my sister originally met her husband online and they eventually met each other, and they've been happily married now for over a year. So call it personal bias, but I don't think meeting someone online is stupid in and of itself.

I would think that anonymity is an issue and that obviously, one could end up meeting a psycho if they're not careful/not smart. But it can work. I would agree that personal contact is essential. My sister and her husband visited each other several times and nurtured a relationship over a decent length of time, which is how it should be done.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Wow, sensing some hostility in this thread. Never really been to this forum, but my two cents: my sister originally met her husband online and they eventually met each other, and they've been happily married now for over a year. So call it personal bias, but I don't think meeting someone online is stupid in and of itself.

The hostility has to do with Zechs making this thread as a clear attack. People who don't know about the relationship wouldn't get that part and just see it as a random question.

Essentially, if you had a thread made saying a relationship of yours was horrible and 'not logical in the least', I bet you would be hostile.

[Chad Bonin]

I met my girlfriend online through Facebook. Therefore, we had mutual friends, but talked for a good two weeks online before meeting in person.

[Mynd Hed]

The problem with only knowing someone online is that all you know about them is what they choose to tell you. Now, I'm not saying that you're necessarily going to be intentionally deceived, but I think it's important to meet someone's family, friends, etc. in order to build up a complete picture of them as a person before you can really say that you "know" them, let alone "love."

[KuwabaraTheMan]

The problem with only knowing someone online is that all you know about them is what they choose to tell you. Now, I'm not saying that you're necessarily going to be intentionally deceived, but I think it's important to meet someone's family, friends, etc. in order to build up a complete picture of them as a person before you can really say that you "know" them, let alone "love."

Well, I dunno. I think generally you can feel someone's intentions and the truth of their words over any form of communication.

Certainly, the final steps of a relationship need physical contact, but I think you can fall in love over the internet, definitely.

[BrendaBat]

I never saw the logic of using the internet to cultivate friends. So the idea of using it to get dates just seems crazy to me.

But it obviously works for some people so, as long as they aren't stupid about it, I say more power to 'em.

[Dead_Ninja_000]

I find it to be a great way for predators to find their prey... but hey that's just me.

I personally don't like it...

[The Guitar Slayer]

I knew my first boyfriend through the net for years before we really started hanging out together in our chatrooms. Then we introduced webcams -- good indicator of body language -- and it wasn't as if we hadn't seen each other before. We exchanged pictures and all of that jazz when we were friends. So then we said we were exclusive.

So then we introduced the MSN talk feature..and then we talked via telephone...and then we met in real life...and then we had a relationship for a year and change.

So absolutely, yes, you can have a relationship via the net. And you can declare yourselves boyfriend/girlfriend -- that's commitment, meaning you're not going to go shag other people.

As to comments that "internet relationships and friends aren't real," pft. My most constant companions and consistent friends have been on the internet.

[Chris Wood]

The Guitar Slayer is a girl????!