All of Teh Internetz in One Site

So, dating. Online dating. Internet dating. It's A Thing™ and about eleventy-billion articles have been written about it. Here's eleventy-billion and one!

I have an online dating profile/acct. Some people would be totally embarrassed to admit this and I assume it's because of that old attitude about "people from the internet". But, quite honestly, I like it. In a time when there are so many busy-making life variables, it's pretty convenient. Plus, I do so much online anyway, it just feels normal to me, really. Though I do admit that occasionally I can't shake the feeling of "people shopping"--which entirely may be just me.

From 'Single' to 'Available'

When I first joined the site, my status was "single" because, well, I was single. Being single didn't change the fact that I am poly-inclined but I wasn't seeing anyone (and being listed as 'single' means being poly wasn't basically pointed out right up there with my username). After a while, I met some really (really) fantastic people and I updated my status to go from "single" to "available" because that more accurately reflects my overall life status (not to mention rather explicitly laying out what this means in my profile).

When I was single, these are a tiny sample of the sorts of messages I'd get--all from different people and all without any previous contact (or follow up contact--I never interacted with any of these people). I've c&p'd them in all their original, respective 'glory' because I am a luddite who has no idea how to blur names:

I just wanted to say your profile caught my attention (and my eye) and wanted to see if you'd be interested in chatting it up.

you caught my eye, plus you're ez on eye's so i had 2say hi!

Wow.... Glorious.
Your eyes are really beautiful & great look.
Its nice to see U.

I hope I'm not being too forward, but I have to say, you are a very beautiful woman. I would love to get to know you

Morning Darlin. I'd love to chat, see where things go ;-) Oh and I give one hell of a massage...I am open to get together as well :-)

These are a small sampling of what has happened after changing my status to "available":

hmm..I think you have soulful eyes... and incredibly kissable lips :-) just saying...

You are a very beautiful woman. I would love to have some adult fun with you. ;)

Hey good looking. I'm conducting a national survey, how about some sex?

Hello pretty girl. I've been celibate for almost 2 years so I'm open to anything...I like u...I wanna meet u

Hi, you're realy very very beatiful! what that means poly ... lala?

These are the SFW ones. The assumption that "poly = will fuck anyone" became glaringly obvious as the tone of some of the messages changed from being more-or-less complimentary to not-so-veiled propositions. SMDH.

One of the topics of conversation that always come up with people I actually do interact with from the site is about the site itself. Most likely because it's rather self-selecting, sample-wise, but we all tend to agree that it's one part fascinating, one part genuinely great people, and another part "where do these fucking weirdos COME FROM?!". What I've generally said is that it really seems to be, in my experience, a microcosm of the internet as a whole: there are some really awesome people and there are some really creepy-as-fuck people who have zero concept of boundaries or decency. This isn't exactly profound, I know, but it's been interesting to witness firsthand as someone who has experienced the "fantastic people/scary people" aspect of online interactions via more serious online spaces/topics.


How about you? Any thoughts/experiences from/about the world of "online dating" you'd like to share?