Early 30's, not balding, male.

I noticed the question didn't say anything about the comparison to Brad Pitt or Cameron Diaz being favorable. After all, even "You're no Brad Pitt" is a comparison :-)

Is it wierd using those online dating things?
Always struck me....odd. I donno, I like meeting people, then thinking about dating them, otherwise it seems like a shopping mall or something.

It can be a little awkward at first, but it settles out quicker than you'd think. You don't just go meet up, you have email conversations which, if it's working, then leads to phone conversations which, if it's working, then leads to meeting in public.

It does require a bit of bravery and leap of faith. But the possible payoff is so awesome that it is worth the time and effort. The worst that can happen is you meet someone interesting.

UT,
Do you know this girl from somewhere else or something? Your reaction seems a little extreme. It was an akward entrance, I'd say, but since she apologized right away, I think you may be acting a little rough toward her. This only strikes me as odd because you are normally so careful of people's feelings. What am I missing?

What's the noise/signal ratio like?
If you don't mind me asking.

Nothing harsh atall; it's just observations and a very very direct question.

Jag: I don't understand your question well enough to answer. To me, there's practically no noise in people's profiles because they are speaking directly about themselves and what they like and what they want. And then I read between the lines and get even more signal, or at least I like to think I do - so the ratio is beyond infinite.

But how easy is it to accurately gague someone from their profile and how often are those profiles misleading.

I have in-person met three women in this way and they were all quite accurate about who they are.

I think some of the confusion comes from people not being able to read or write correctly. One woman said that some of the guys were way, way off. "Why would they assume I was a NASCAR* fan?" she asked. I figured out that the song lyrics she'd quoted in her profile were part of a song used in a few NASCAR ads. An unhappy coincidence for her but you could see why that might happen.


*NASCAR = US auto racing league

Thanks for all your comments.

Ladysycamore - I quite agree. The net is just one of many places where etiquette dictates dialogue - and ultimately meaning - by assuming certain restrictions: particulary with regard to the 'tone', or perceived intention, and whether the individual or theme adheres to existing values/preconceptions.

Undertoad - what can I say. I have no idea what I will be like in 10/20 years time, or even if I'll still be on this planet. However, I do agree with your comments, and in an era of mass-consumption where image-altering devices like make-up and plastic surgery are not only accessible but ubiquitous, is it any wonder women (and increasingly men) have been reduced to a snapshot? First impressions, we are told, take just a few seconds (as demonstrated by a few comments here...?) and people perhaps unsurprisingly feel the need to condense themselves into a 'visual soundbite', first - in order to be noticed, and second - to be appreciated.

Russotto - quite right. But they would still have to have a high IQ.

Lumberjim - thanks for the support, and isn't it funny how just a few comments on a website can affect people's feelings? Are we really that fragile that sticks and stones are finally becoming redundant in this age of information and reduction of real human contact? Personally, words affect me more than anything else, maybe because by their very nature they are laced with intent (malevolent or otherwise), and there isn't usually much room for ambiguity.

Just one thing - if there is one person here who can claim to never have been influenced by an image or first impression then I take my proverbial hat off to you. It has been claimed that we use this and other means of simplification to help us make sense of the world. So if you had to be judged on one thing - what would you like it to be?

Isn't that material for another thread (not a poll, I think!)?

If I were to be judged by only one thing, I would want it to be my Cellar posts.

If I *had* to be judged, I'll take a page from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's book:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

*sigh* And we're still dreaming, Dr. King...:(

Just hope you're not judged by your choice of roommates. :haha:

Well put.

39 2/3 bald, tubby, no Brad Pitt... met a person of the opposite sex once, she kept me.

that's why i answered your hot er, uh, yeah whatever.

edit: note to self, read the entire thread first, erf.