11:59 AM
Online Dating at Date.Com
stormbreaker
One pet peeve of mine which I can’t seem to get over is being subject to a blind date. In my opinion, there are two types of blind dates: the first one being the one where you get introduced to your date through a common friend. The other one is through a dating service.
On to the first category. Well, this isn’t not just any blind date; it’s the one where the person I have to go out with is a friend of a friend. See, prior to the date itself is the building up of the (thus far) fictional character (known to me only by her name and the basic facts of life provided to me by the common friend). Apart from the facts are the vague adjectives (cute, nice, funny, cheerful disposition, yadayadayada), some of which may have been fairy dust sprinkled by the common friend (like a used car salesman who will conveniently forget the person’s foibles-you are left to discover these on your own). Sometimes a picture may be provided (circa so-and-so, usually taken years ago. My personal favorite would be the college graduation picture which may have undergone extensive, how do I put it, renovation). Meanwhile, our fictional character has ballooned morphed into something else…Then comes the big day when you walk into the restaurant all jittery, or you pick her up at her place. And you see each other the first time. Ok, so maybe I exaggerated the physical appearance part a bit, but after the pleasantries (pay your date the obligatory complements, etc. etc.), then comes the dating proper where you discover that hey, half the stuff our friend told me about you doesn’t exactly check out (I like calling these “improved truths”). And so you labor through dinner (and if you’re lucky, you will skip dessert), and when you get to the end of the date (phew!), there’s always that dilemma of how to break it to the other that no, there were no sparks during this one…And then you go make that phone call to your common friend for updates on how it went (No, it did not go. Thank you. o common friend-your extensive vocabulary amazes me. So does your ability to lie to my face, Pinocchio!).
Sounds familiar? Well, some people decided to actually turn the dating/mating game into a business. That’s the second type of blind date: online dating. But here’s the catch-the online dating service offers you the facts (and only the facts – no beating around the bush adjectives). What’s more, you get to choose from a number of individuals- their databank of people contains all sorts of individuals, you can specify what particular trait you may be looking for. Of course, the words “nice”, “cute”, “cool” may not exactly work, ‘coz everyone can always say they’re “nice”, “cute”, or “cool”. But the basic facts are there-who they are, where they’re from, job description, blahblah. Matching you up with someone else is as easy as that. No friend of yours doing the sales talk whatsoever. Ok, so that’s the upside. The downside is, the people you’re bound to meet are total strangers-no one to do a background check on your potential date. So this person could turn out to be anyone, absolutely anyone out there with access to the net.
Now, call me pessimistic, but from what I’ve gone through so far, blind dating has yet to work its magic on me. Of course, I’ve heard tales of success (some even ending up in marriage)-I think it’s awesome. But for a guy who’s suffered through a number of blind dates, maybe I should bring Cupid along on my next one.
On to the first category. Well, this isn’t not just any blind date; it’s the one where the person I have to go out with is a friend of a friend. See, prior to the date itself is the building up of the (thus far) fictional character (known to me only by her name and the basic facts of life provided to me by the common friend). Apart from the facts are the vague adjectives (cute, nice, funny, cheerful disposition, yadayadayada), some of which may have been fairy dust sprinkled by the common friend (like a used car salesman who will conveniently forget the person’s foibles-you are left to discover these on your own). Sometimes a picture may be provided (circa so-and-so, usually taken years ago. My personal favorite would be the college graduation picture which may have undergone extensive, how do I put it, renovation). Meanwhile, our fictional character has ballooned morphed into something else…Then comes the big day when you walk into the restaurant all jittery, or you pick her up at her place. And you see each other the first time. Ok, so maybe I exaggerated the physical appearance part a bit, but after the pleasantries (pay your date the obligatory complements, etc. etc.), then comes the dating proper where you discover that hey, half the stuff our friend told me about you doesn’t exactly check out (I like calling these “improved truths”). And so you labor through dinner (and if you’re lucky, you will skip dessert), and when you get to the end of the date (phew!), there’s always that dilemma of how to break it to the other that no, there were no sparks during this one…And then you go make that phone call to your common friend for updates on how it went (No, it did not go. Thank you. o common friend-your extensive vocabulary amazes me. So does your ability to lie to my face, Pinocchio!).
Sounds familiar? Well, some people decided to actually turn the dating/mating game into a business. That’s the second type of blind date: online dating. But here’s the catch-the online dating service offers you the facts (and only the facts – no beating around the bush adjectives). What’s more, you get to choose from a number of individuals- their databank of people contains all sorts of individuals, you can specify what particular trait you may be looking for. Of course, the words “nice”, “cute”, “cool” may not exactly work, ‘coz everyone can always say they’re “nice”, “cute”, or “cool”. But the basic facts are there-who they are, where they’re from, job description, blahblah. Matching you up with someone else is as easy as that. No friend of yours doing the sales talk whatsoever. Ok, so that’s the upside. The downside is, the people you’re bound to meet are total strangers-no one to do a background check on your potential date. So this person could turn out to be anyone, absolutely anyone out there with access to the net.
Now, call me pessimistic, but from what I’ve gone through so far, blind dating has yet to work its magic on me. Of course, I’ve heard tales of success (some even ending up in marriage)-I think it’s awesome. But for a guy who’s suffered through a number of blind dates, maybe I should bring Cupid along on my next one.