"The odds are greater to meet your soul mate on the Internet."

ONLINE

Match-Ups

Do They Work?

by M.K. Allison

Singles across the country are spending more days and nights in front of the computer in matchmaker mold.  Some are coming away frustrated, while others are finding true romance.

A friend met three “interesting” guys on the Internet and two months later, she married one of them in a Las Vegas chapel.  A male cousin no longer goes out to the clubs or sports bars, because he spends every spare moment on the Internet meeting 20 to 30 women a month.  He claims that the Internet is the best way to meet women, and it takes the dating process to another level.  Here’s what others had to say:

Vic:  31 – “I find I can tell a woman more online than I can tell her in person.  I love the Internet and the mystique it offers.  I’ve met several women and I’ve had some great dates, but I’ve yet to meet someone to become serious with.”

Maggie:  30 – “After investing a lot of money on stunning clothes and bar-hopping in hopes of having a reasonable encounter with the opposite sex, and nothing happened, I decided to try the Internet as an alternative.  I signed up with a popular dating site and received 58 responses in two days, but I only answered twenty.  Out of the 20, I actually met 10.  Two were acceptable as potential friends.  Two were nice, but nerdy.  One was a con-man looking for a victim.  Two didn’t like me.  The other three had great partner potential, but were too elusive.  However, the one I favored the most, turned out to be a fluke.  He was married with five children.  I decided to wait a couple of months and try again.”

Paul:  33 – “I don’t have time to go to the usual places to meet women.  So, when a close friend met a woman over the Internet and got married, I gave it a try.  I signed up on a couple of the match websites and received over 300 replies in one week.  I was overwhelmed and very surprised.  I only answered those women who didn’t seem desperate or hungry.  So many of them oversold themselves.  I ended up responding to 50.  After a series of phone calls and meetings, I narrowed it down to one and I’ve never been happier.  Now, I recommend the Internet to everyone who is seriously looking to make a match.”

Vicky:  35 – “I use the Internet as a fun way to meet men without moving from my home.  But I find that men who are truly desirable and basically normal don’t use the computer as a means of meeting women.  I found that most of the twenty-seven guys who sent replies were physically and socially inept.  I disqualified most on the phone.  I talked to one guy several times who seemed interesting, but when I met him, he turned out to be a female, who had just had an operation.”

John:  38 – “When I joined a dating site on the Internet, I received over 70 responses in one day and I found most of the women to be of good caliber and sincere.  Personally, I was tired of looking in all the traditional places, and I was ready to be involved seriously.  I responded to 25 of them, and eventually chose the woman with the best sense of humor, who actually looked like her photo.”

Tonya:  32 – “I personally feel that matchmaking on the Internet is a great way to meet interesting people without wearing yourself out.  The big problem is that I find that a large number of the men and women who participate in this medium are often unacceptable as mates.  There may be a prince or princess in the bunch, but you have to interview so many frogs and froglets to get to them.  I gave up after three weeks of connecting with men who didn’t come close to what I was looking for.  I’ve discovered that many people misrepresent themselves on the Internet, and I’d rather see what I’m getting upfront.”

Maria:  29 – I love online match-ups.  I have met some very interesting guys online, and I didn’t spend much money to meet them.  I personally prefer to be online searching for the perfect mate for me, than out at the club, bars or parties.  I like the mystique of getting to know a little something about a person before you actually see them.”