I realize this topic has been done to death, but in my experience with on line dating to which I have been a member of several, the only one I know of has the biggest success rate is Harmony I personally know 3 people that had success on that site, my nephew counted as one of them.
I have made a few friends on these dating sites but nothing more, I still meet most women I date the old fashion way u know face to face, it has been my experience a lot of the members on these dating sites have difficulty meeting members of the opposite sex in real life I have also noticed a high degree of individual's that harbor a lot of resentment and bitterness of coarse this is not the case with all on these sites some people come on line hoping to meet their ideal mate after failing to do so in the real world, but I have found the mass majority of members have all of a sudden found their selves in the dating game again due to divorce separation or death of their loved one, then there are those that I guess are just lonely in their existence and are attempting to find companionship, I for one believe every individual is deserving of companionship and or love, then there are individuals that only want to explore all of their options such is my case for joining, I myself have pretty much given up any hope of finding a lasting relationship on line its harder enough connecting with someone you are already acquainted with, it is even harder making that connection with someone you have ever met, but like most things in life I suppose we just need to keep having faith, I have not nor will ever give up hope, I know there is someone out there just for me and me alone but I have strong doubt about finding that someone on the internet, then stranger things have happened, so I will continue to explore all my options including the use of the internet.

You may be correct that a lot of people resort to internet dating because it isn't really working out for them in the real world. However, everyone uses the internet for something or other these days and anyone from business professionals to people like me can get dates from it, without even putting that much effort into it.

They say that you only get out of it what you are prepared to put into it but that argument is somewhat spurious. It seems to me that a lot of people just try too hard. I met my last internet woman without even trying to chat her up. She was the one that contacted me first and she asked me out. What are the chances of that happening again? Well, to be honest, I'm not sure but I had more in common with that girl and liked her more than most of the ones that I meet in my everyday life.

Oh its not a problem of dating I meet tons of women because of my occupation and I have dated a few women from the internet, in my younger days if there had been internet dating I would probably have had a different woman every night I was kind of wild in my youth, with the exception of a 7yr long term relationship, if it was just a hook-up I get plenty of those offers in the real world but what if your searching for a meaningful relationship, then it becomes a little harder, well just my opinion.

Well, it's just a different way of meeting people and because we're on a dating site people are going to have all sorts of preconceptions about it. You seem to yourself with this talk of "hooking up". What's wrong with that anyway though and why can't a meaningful relationship come from it?

It's horses for courses I think. Maybe internet dating actually suits me because I may be in my forties now but the "hooking up" thing actually suits me. Why do I suddenly have to change my dating habits and become all old fashioned about it just because I'm not in my twenties anymore?

Didn't mean to insult or seem judgmental not knocking what u do hell I'm the last person to judge as I stated in my younger years hooking up was a life style for me man clubbing in the 80's LOL, everybody has their reasons for being here, as for myself hooking up just no longer appeals to me like it once did.

for some.. its a good option for instance if they work at home, or basically alone, perhaps they dont like to date people they work with. some people dont have a lot of acquaintances in their lives such as people who have few good close friends and not the type to have hundreds that they arent close with, so their outlet of meeting someone is less than if they were on the internet. some work with many like men in construction.. hardly any women out there in that trade.. some people dont go to church and some dont go to bars. i have had somewhat sucess with internet dating.. well 6 yrs with a guy i met on the internet.. then there was some creeps too lol!! no different were my outcome of meeting the person from off the internet. that is just my experience. good luck

Well, I don't come on here for one night stands, if that's what you mean by "hooking up".

I'm on here for dating. Simple as that. Clubbing isn't my thing.

I wasn't insulted but just saying that people do come on internet dating sites with preconceptions and that's what you're up against. You try to chat up a woman that says that she's looking for a "meaningful relationship" on a dating site or elsewhere and what do you usually get? F**k all because those ones are too picky, or they already think that any man that talks to them just wants to get into their pants. Even when you do "hook up" these women tell you that they're fed up with all of the other guys hitting on them.

Frankly, I don't even know how to get a relationship started without "hooking up". Perhaps that's why I'm looking for a woman on the internet, instead of in a church.

oh and to add to that... you can meet someone only 15 miles from you that may be the perfect match for you... online to where if you didnt use that option you may never of run into them in your lifetime in person.. i think it is just a helping tool.

to some people hooking up means just to meet someone to sleep with for a one night stand.. to others the term means to meet someone.. some people dating means u are sleeping with that person you are dating to others it simply means you are getting to know someone or more than one person for their insides and not having sex with anyone.

Hey buttons fitting name you are cute as one, wished I lived closer to Oregon, been out west many times never that far north, always wanted to see Oregon.

thanks!