Falling for Someone ONLINE.

I used to chat a lot on Yahoo and a few years ago fell for a guy in England. Hours and hours on the net and on the phone talking and joking.

We met in real life when I moved over there. He was a sweet guy but agoraphobic; he would suffer major panic attacks every time he went outside his house. So, someone really suited to internet romance only.

Another internet date (not quite the same thing, I know, but sort of connected) was with a guy who'd described himself as a "tall, dark & handsome straight-acting guy from Ireland". In reality he was a Malaysian who had been studying in Dublin for a few months. And a very camp fashion designer. And, not so tall or handsome. All my fault really for not insisting on a photo first or chatting to him on the phone beforehand.

I met my second girlfriend online and we were together for two and a half years, and are still friends today.

In addition to that, I've met many other people online who have had important roles in my life. Good friends, lovers, concert buddies, pen pals, women I've fallen in love with, even someone from this site.

I recently attended my cousin Dennis' wedding. He married his girlfriend and fiance of nearly ten years and couldn't be happier. He met her in an internet chat room.

I feel like people who still think of meeting friends/lovers/significant others on the internet is weird, strange, pathetic, desperate, unnatural, creepy or for other reasons a bad idea are seriously behind the times.

I have met people online and had a bit of a "thing" for them but that is as far as it has gone. That's probably down to two reasons. Firstly I have been happily attached for almost 20 years and secondly I am very mistrusting of most of what I read online.

I do think it is easier to fall for people online as you are only seeing their written words or pictures of their choosing. When that is all you are seeing of that personality your own imagination kicks in to fill in all the blanks you have about them. If you like the little you know about that person it is very easy to let your mind romanticise about what you do not know about them.

I'm sure nearly everyone has fallen for me online.

Is that not in fact the basis for your international fan club?

I had an international fan club too? I was only aware of the interdimensional fan club.

I completely agree with you there, Ryan. It seems like more people are accepting of the idea of internet dating. I can imagine there is a bit of discomfort though, as some people worry about how much truth is out there.

Me too, Dave.
You are absolutely correct. It is quite easy to fall for a person on the net, if they only present their best sides. However, I think that continued chatter will eventually eliminate this "unknown factor". Eventually, the lies will fade and the truths will come out.

I really enjoy that aspect of the internet. You can't lie Forever, eventually you slip.

Shoot.. oh well, I will just have to move down my list of people I fancy...

I'm not seeking monogamy at the moment ... sorry

I haven't gotten to your name, Tog.. I am currently in the R section....

ohhhh ... I see

It's ok.. I am stuck there. I'll be a while.

Thank god for that. I'd hate to lose you.

This is incredibly true. However with the rise of applications like Messenger and Skype you can have video calls that give you a better idea of who someone is. But I agree, even then it's not the same. You really don't know someone until you can spend time in their company and get to see their responses to real life stimuli. ( how do they tip, are they an angry driver, are they a candidate for whiplash when someone hot walks by?) As real as each of us are, sitting behind our respective keyboards is an artificial environment.

I've been communicating with someone since May and it's my deepest desire to see them in person and spend time with them. Each smile with a flash of dimple is a gift, come what may. But I do have this to say...

DISTANCE SUCKS!!!!

I want my teleportation device, NOW!