I know, I know you're right. I'm not trying to blame the sites...I'm really just saying that the environment itself...it's not for the naive or trusting person. No one wanted it to work more than me. I loved the idea of finding someone online. But, I don't know so much anymore. My thinking now is that online environments attract sketchy types. See, your local poetry reading session won't attract liars, con men, and cheaters as much, though they might still be there, it won't actually attract them like the internet does. Those men would have never have gotten away with so many lies in 3D, in reality. I do realize I have to take half the blame. I didn't know I was supposed to make contact then log off and meet offline right away. I thought I was being smart "getting to know" them first. Lol. Those two didn't want to meet as soon as I did and I didn't see it as a red flag. Well, I did but I ignored it because I already started to develop feelings. I had feelings for people that didn't exist!
I don't find online dating sites any 'better' than my local bar; it seems like the same kind of people! Haha. At least in 3D I'm able to see critical things like body language, facial expressions, how they are in social settings, that feeling you get when you're around a creep...those things are are nonexistent online and you're left with scripted dialog no way to determine who is real.
I saw a commercial for Match where they set up group meets where you're in a room with a bunch of people match determined might hit it off. That seems interesting to me. It almost sold me.
I wonder if its different for a man? Have you found that you have run into a pattern of women or have you generally had good experiences?
I think the experiential difference between men and women are very different on these sites. In fact, I know for a fact that it is so. I did field research of my own (don't ask I am obsessive) I made a fake account and posed as a woman and used some stock hot girl photos just to see what kind of shit happened and I will say for a fact that as a woman I got 10x the amount of interest than I did as a male. Including many creepers who would say things like "nice tits" or "want to fuck?" or "marry me" usually very short sentences. I could tell they were just sending that out to 100s of profiles a night. Those guys are easy to catch. Alas I didn't go much further than that, since it was pointless and I got a pretty good idea.
As a male on these sites things are a lot easier, no doubt. I get a lot of single moms and really overweight people who will send me the usual 2 word sentences, although women tend to be a lot more classy. No "lets fuck's" just yet but plenty of "you're cute!" or "nice pics!"
But this should be par for the course I assume for most women/men. IRL women just arent as aggressive as men are... I know because I have had a lot more blatant objectification from gay guys than women and there's wayyyyy more women than gay guys. SO per capita I am guessing its more of a male thing.
I try to tell my buddies this stuff all the time, that girls start getting guys offering their dicks to them as early as 13, shameless! This is not the experience of men, unless they are children of rockstars or whatever. So I assume most women tend to be a lot more mature when it comes to sex/dating than most dudes, this is also going to show through in online dating or the local watering hole.
After all, it took me until my late 20s to feel attractive enough not to NEED sex for validation... I assume most women hit that point (if they do) way earlier because men are utterly shameless. After all, women can get laid any time they want, they practically own
"beauty" and definitely monopolize the vagina. I am getting sidetracked,
as for my experiences online well, they have generally been good. I get good attention on my profiles, I don't answer most of them, but women tend to be more sly, they favor sending winks and stuff as opposed to just saying hi. I mostly meet up at starbucks or whatever. I mentioned before some women troll those sites looking for free dinner hehe. I guess I shouldn't complain, if I have a week full of dates it should be a little expensive. I actually cut way back, I don't do much these days except work and workout. Too fucked up to try and bring someone into my life. But those sites are a good tool to know they exist.
As for local bars, yeah, hate em. No variety. Its all the same people I knew for years, entirely too many coke-heads infiltrating my towns bar scene, and prescription pill poppers, they infest the scene. If I want to go out for drinks I generally have to drive to another town or whatever so I don't have to deal with all the burn outs who live in my town. Plus the noise, and drunk assholes who get angry and think I am hitting on their girl, who has been staring at Me! I didn't even notice! Honest!