Member Advice on Online Dating

INTRODUCTION A couple of years ago, when I was still single, I wrote a short article about my own experiences of internet dating which I had aspirations of sending to some men's magazine or something, long before I even knew review sites existed. I thought it was time it had an airing. This was written when it was a bit less socially acceptable, as I started back at the end of 2003 and finished at the beginning of 2006, but I think my experiences are still relevant. Not being the sort of bloke to chat up women in a pub, and not having many in my social circle, I thought it was worth a go to ... more

“Sad lonely, Internet geek seeks blond buxom babe to wow her with his Klingon costume. Come and massage my pimples with spot cream. Hopefully we can get it on” “44 year old Geordie bird, 8 kids, tattoos and a scrunchie recently released from jail for GBH seeks understanding , slightly gullible male to start a new life “ Is this what you would expect from internet dating. Socially inept individuals, weirdos and those too painfully shy or too busy with their career to find a partner any other way. Internet dating at times still has a stigma. I know one person who will not tell his mum where he ... more

Some of you may already know that I’ve been in an online relationship the last four months. I finally met my girlfriend, Emily, last Monday (09/02), when she flew in from America for a holiday, so I thought now would be a good time to tell. I’ve pointed out before Ciao asks for ‘member advice’ rather than simply ‘my story/experience’, so it’s worth saying here that this will try to combine both, with lessons drawn from my experience. Meeting Online Meeting people in bars always seemed intimidating to me - how do you know if someone’s single, interested, not psycho and sharing your interests ... more

However hard they try to market a dating site it always makes the people on the avert look desperate, deemed not capable of attracting a mate and so in need of help, adding to their anxieties. We have all seen those dreadful E-Harmony adverts and the fact those people are probably actor’s backs up the rather dated feeling that you must be a plain and overweight loser to try and meet someone online, which is nonsense, of course. In fact I would say it’s the best way to meet someone these days if you are looking for a relationship on your terms. The alternative is the sort of guys who hit on ... more

A year ago, I was entirely resigned to my fate as a middle aged celibate matriarch of a one parent family, consisting of four mostly grown up children and three young grand-children.I would have told you I was perfectly happy as I was, and having had one divorce followed by several years of the live-in relationship from hell I was never going near men again. No thank you, not for anything! I had had six years on my own and life was trotting along fairly comfortably. The only slight blip was that my ex- partner would not entirely let go, and had a habit of turning up en-famille and expected to ... more