Video Game Forums

…If finding a date on the Web is right for me?

Yeah, it’s funny that, in the midst of my making a game about funny decisions, I’m now making a thread about a serious decision. I simply need a solid, reasonable, well-thought-out answer.

Below is a short list of the pros and cons I’ve come up with regarding this decision.

PRO:
- I can literally get a girl’s contact information (email, phone number, what have you) without even having to ask.
- It’s hard these days to find someone in California who sees eye-to-eye with me in terms of PP&R, so maybe online dating would help me pick that kind of girl out of a crowd.
- Let’s just say I’ve run into more positive testimonials than negative ones—that’s what happened when I typed into Google Search: “Is online dating right for me?”

CON:
- I might lose that special kind of feeling of getting to know someone as a friend before knowing someone as a girlfriend. You know what I’m talking about?
- A potential date might not actually be like what she presents herself to be, if you catch my drift.
- Some stranger might use whatever contact info I post on my dating profile for the wrong reasons.

Any input from the people of VGF is welcome.

Thanks in advance,

~CKR



(I normally use this picture to mourn for the deceased, but now, I think it best describes my current mental state: that of a confused young man with too many questions and not enough answers.)

Don't be a creep about online dating and that's all you have to worry about on your part. Make sure to play it safe when you do want to meet up with someone.

People that slam online dating forget it's not going to remain exclusively online. It's more looking at the benefit of how the internet actually connects people.

I voted "no" but only because I don't think it would work well. I'm not saying it can't or hasn't, not even that it won't work. It just seems like something desperate people do, or at least it kinda has that stigma, so I'd think that's the type of people on there. Do you really want that? If it doesn't bother you then go for it. Probably can't hurt, anyway.

No offense to those who are into it. It's just my half-baked opinion.

Eventually you're gonna have to meet face to face. So it's not really that different.

Treat your online interactions the same as you would any other social situation. What works for you is going to be somewhat unique to you. So if you wouldn't feel comfortable going straight into dating with a girl you just met in person, then don't do it online either. Find friends online, and let whatever develop happen in the same, natural way. But then, if you would be up for going on a date to get to know someone, then starting online isn't much different, is it? Whichever way feels more comfortable for you. Best of luck!

^^ But you don't really know a person until you meet them. I've been on VGF forever and I still doubt I really "know" anyone currently here. I know things about them but that's pretty much it. How much good can it do to meet someone online rather than in person?

I really wouldn't say that you don't really "know" a person until you meet them. There are members of this site that I consider to be very good friends and it's not just the people here that I've met, because we've shared personal stuff with each other (though that's not always in the context of this site itself as it is in the context of AIM, Facebook, PMing, etc.) There are plenty of people here that I consider to be just as good of friends as I do some of my college and high school friends.

Also you may be meeting this person online, and while the initial interactions may be online the point of dating sites is to eventually lead up to meeting each other in real life and taking the relationship beyond talking online. Online dating is just really a catalyst for getting two people to meet, not much different than a friend setting other friends up on a date.

Do you plan on dating or getting married?

^^ Yeah, I guess. I dunno, it just doesn't seem like something I'd try. I ain't bashing it.

Everyone I've met in person after being online friends with has been exactly who I thought they would be. Trust me, you can grow relationships (whether friends or romances) through online interaction which are just as strong and real as those offline. Sometimes way moreso, because you've found someone based entirely on shared interests and compatibility instead of the happenstance of meeting people randomly through school/work/other.

You know, if you really want to date and you feel like online dating is your only option, hell yes do it. Like why the hell not. I mean, as long as you take care, the potential positives seem to outweigh hell out of the negatives.

Don't know but I'd do it myself. Still holding out for my dream woman (Scarlett Pain will come around some day, I knows it).

I've met a couple women through OK Cupid before. Both dates went well, but nothing really panned out from them. I still use the site, though.
[QUOTE="Colonel KR, post: 1470331, member: 38410"]PRO:
- I can literally get a girl’s contact information (email, phone number, what have you) without even having to ask.

CON:
- Some stranger might use whatever contact info I post on my dating profile for the wrong reasons.
[/QUOTE] You shouldn't (& most girls won't) put your contact info in your profile. Just use the site's internal messaging feature instead. After you've talked with somebody there for a while, then you can choose to give them your phone or email (& vice versa) if you're feeling a connection.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

Pro: You could meet a person which makes every aspect of your life seem more fulfilling.


Con: You might have to kill them when they find out about your secret identity.

work with your comfort zone, **** what anyone has to say about it.

honestly i find it easier to talk online than face to face when i first get to know someone, and this is coming from a guy who relishes social interaction. everyone has a comfort zone, a zen state an area THEY thrive in, go with the flow and work with what you think works for you.

I think you'll never know until you try. It might be for you, or it might not. Just act like yourself online and be honest, maybe a bit guarded at first. If it's long distance, it'll be hard when you start getting close to someone. But it could be worth it. :) Just try.

[QUOTE="Olestradamus is Going 3rd Party, post: 1470414, member: 25415"]Pro: You could meet a person which makes every aspect of your life seem more fulfilling.

Con: You might have to kill them when they find out about your secret identity.[/QUOTE]

Who do you think I am? I’m a superhero, not the CIA! A quick memory wipe should do the trick. :lol:

Actually, if any of you wants to know my real name, shoot me a PM, and I’ll tell you, but you have to swear NOT share the information publically. Got it?

Thanks, guys, for all your insight into this decision. In the end, I haven’t altogether given up on finding someone IRL, but now that I have a more informed opinion on this matter, I might try a little online matchup someday.

But, to end this post on a more positive note, if any of you knows a girl in the 20-25 age range who’s looking for a tall, scrawny, pasty introvert who fears God, loves the free market, and appreciates the art of video games, you can if you’d like tell her there’s somebody like that waiting on VGF. Just shoot me a PM. We’ll talk.

^ Aren't there girls on VGF that fit into that category? (Yeaaaaaaaah, I'm not looking for a relationship right now.)

We don't have any female conservatives or any who say so at least, although we have in the past.

I guess VGF has matched people up before, could happen again. Won't name names, but I guess I was kinda talking to someone from VGF before myself, although I was only 13 and that was confusing.

Just keep in mind that there's a huge, huge, huge difference between having an impression of someone you sometimes interact with over the internet, and genuinely getting to know a person online. There are some people who are very dear friends to me, yet I still don't know the first thing about their offline lives apart from the odd factoid. Then there are people whose vast array of details I do know, down to things like their family, age, occupation, location, etc, without having gotten to understand them personally. Piecing together details is not the same as knowing a person. Chatting doesn't always mean you're forming a bond. Put your safety first in any online relationship you pursue, because you probably don't know nearly as much about the other person as you think you do, not until you've been close to them for years.