It's a strange situation. I would only meet someone like that in a public place and preferably with other people. Of course, I actually met Suzanne in Planet Out lesbian chat when my relationship (at the time) was ending (should have ended long before), and I was looking for friends. She was in a relationship, but she was unhappy. We became friends. Finally, when we were single, we decided to start dating. We spoke on the phone for at least an hour a day...and virtually non-stop on the weekends (except to sleep). By the time I flew from St. Louis to California, I felt confident in who she was. We'd been talking for about 2 months at that point.
I have a group of online friends I am very close with as well (several of whom are on LJ like andamaroo and b5merlyn), but we all met in groups the first time and slept on the floor of abercromb's apartment. Of course, I drove up there with one of the guys who had also lived in St. Louis and could well have been a hatchet murderer, but we'd socialized some before we made the trip.
People have been meeting online (for love and/or friendship) for years. I'm not sure why myspace seems to be so different...maybe BECAUSE of the popularity. At least one woman was allegedly killed by a guy she met there. I suspect it's because people are using it so much like a free dating service and assuming that because the person has so many friends, they must be safe. Perhaps it provides a false sense of security. Whereas, in the chat room where I hung out, we were pretty cautious unless the person involved had already met others of the group.
I'm a little out of the dating loop and don't expect to be in it again... unless and until Suzanne passes away. She's heavier but healthier and hardier than I am, so I could well go first despite our age difference. I've also never been very mainstream. I almost never meet someone I'd actually like to get involved with. I did move a lot in school, and I repeated that pattern in my adulthood to some degree. That's the big reason myspace appeals to me. I have lost touch with so many people over the years.
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I have a group of online friends I am very close with as well (several of whom are on LJ like
People have been meeting online (for love and/or friendship) for years. I'm not sure why myspace seems to be so different...maybe BECAUSE of the popularity. At least one woman was allegedly killed by a guy she met there. I suspect it's because people are using it so much like a free dating service and assuming that because the person has so many friends, they must be safe. Perhaps it provides a false sense of security. Whereas, in the chat room where I hung out, we were pretty cautious unless the person involved had already met others of the group.
I'm a little out of the dating loop and don't expect to be in it again... unless and until Suzanne passes away. She's heavier but healthier and hardier than I am, so I could well go first despite our age difference. I've also never been very mainstream. I almost never meet someone I'd actually like to get involved with. I did move a lot in school, and I repeated that pattern in my adulthood to some degree. That's the big reason myspace appeals to me. I have lost touch with so many people over the years.