On-line dating? Yes? No?

[popcornbird]

A few years ago, I too, would have said NO, but after being on PT for over 2 years, I must say I now see online relationships/friendships from a totally different perspective.

While it is true that you must be very careful, and its also true there are many predators out there that you need to be aware of, the fact is....when you're getting to *know* a person in real life, they are just as new to you as someone on the internet would be, and they too, could very possibly be lying about things. The internet is not *fake life* LOL. Its just as *real* as the real life we live in. Everyone you meet online is just as much of a REAL person in the REAL world as you are....So just because you aren't talking *face to face*, or because you're in different parts of the world, that doesn't mean you're talking to someone out of the *real world*. I know I always refer to my offline life as real life too, but when you think about it, its kind of silly because in reality, everyone you know online is someone in *real life* too. I mean really......we ALL exist in the real world, don't we? LOL!!!

I do think you need to be careful and alert, and REALLY get to know the person before taking any steps forward, that could possibly endanger you if you're not talking to the right person. There are risks involved when meeting people face to face too. My mom always tells my brother (who is hoping to find the right person and get married soon), that marriage is like a lottery. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. It doesn't matter if you meet the person online or offline....Offline relationships can go just as bad, and online relationships can go good too. It all depends on who you end up with. I guess I would say you should be careful and wary about giving any personal information out until you get to know the person deep down, but I think, if you play things safe, it could very well be a nice experience. You really do get to know people well by talking to them online. I wouldn't have said that before joining PT, but now that I've gotten to know so many people well here, I must say, if you're smart and play it safe, you might be able to find the perfect match online. I mean...if we were all able to find the perfect friends on PT, I'm sure its very possible to find a perfect life partner online too. As with all aspects in life, you just have to be careful...maybe a little EXTRA careful when it comes to the internet, but I don't think its always a horribly dangerous thing that is bound to go wrong, as I once did before.