I've never been with anyone, so I went on a dating app and matched with someone I thought was cool. To be honest, I didn't expect to hook up with him so soon, but the date went really well.

My date is more experienced, but he's really nice. Then, he showed me some ropes. I was shocked. But once I got over the initial shock, I was able to enjoy a good time and feel like I could experience more in the future.

Also, in order to discover your sexuality, you have to experiment, often with several people. Hook-up with different people on dating apps allows you to experiment with different genders, or even just different sexual preferences, without having to commit to one person.

Well, we all experience things in our own time when we feel ready. lol

First, I’ll define “best” today as “most unusual.”

I had been approached online and began chatting with a guy who was funny, talked a lot, seemed normal. (Key word: seemed) We had texted for about a week and I’m not really online to have a penpal, so I mentioned, hey why don’t we get together? He was open but a little hesitant, and then mentioned why don’t we get together in my neighborhood (about 45 minutes from me). I said okay, but asked if he had any reservations about coming to my side of town.

It was then that he divulged that he had “transportation issues.” When I asked what kind, he said he didn’t drive. I asked if that was a personal choice or a legal choice (keep in mind, we do not live in a town where you can walk everywhere). He then mentioned, oh by the way I have 4 DUIs and don’t have a license.

So that was enough for me to say, hmmmm, I don’t think this is going to work out, not only because of the DUIs but I also just hate to drive and driving 1.5 hours just for a date is not going to happen. So I told him that it was not going to work out and thanks anyway.

But lo and behold, he had a solution!!!!! What was his amazing solution? “Let’s just move in together!” I couldn’t stifle the laugh that came out. Talk about a case of “that escalated quickly.” And then I blocked him.

I matched with my boyfriend on tinder while I was dating another guy (non exclusively) a few months ago. We talked for a while, I really liked him, but things got serious with the other dude and I panicked, so I ghosted on him (I KNOW) before we met up. He politely bowed out when I stopped responding to his messages.

A few months later, other guy ghosted on me - literally just left for a business trip and didn't talk to me, stopped responding to things. So I cried and cried and sat on benches in historic Alexandria and drove my car all over the east coast trying to get over it. And eventually I opened up tinder again and made a new account. And one of my FIRST matches....

Well, he's sleeping soundly beside me, and we're happier than ever.

TBH, I think the thing about online dating is totally based on luck. There are really some best and worst people. But, I do meet some really nice people on dating apps.

So, I was traveling in a town in Europe. Then, I started swiping the HOOKOO hookup app. I wasn't expecting anything, cuz the app does not have many users. Then, I saw him, with curly hair, and a big smile. Then, I just messaged him. It all happened so suddenly. He had me hooked out of nowhere. We flirted online for a while and finally decided to meet. He seemed shy, but I didn't mind because as an extreme extrovert, I like the spotlight on me. The date went well and we slept during the time I was there., We have the best time together, cooking, reading, and swimming. It was such a wonderful time. We still play games together till today.

Well, many people who are considering online dating would be interested in statistics on the success rate of online dating. In a study conducted by Statista, it was found that 17 percent of online daters ended a long-term relationship after meeting someone online. In addition, the survey found that almost one-third of respondents knew someone who had met their partner online. So, give it a try.

This is right up my alley ! I am of that age group, maybe a bit over. I became a widower after 39 years of marriage so dating was new to me. I went online , tried several different sites , and found dating and romance. Some online dating sites are better than others. Some have a poor reputation so be careful and do not touch them. I have dated many ladies, some for a week, month and even 2 years. It is a challenge to start over in love but being single sucks for me anyway. I have found some very nice people out there and some bad ones. Some want to marry within a month , some never do. Some will take you to the cleaners, others will make a home cooked meal for you. I have spent so much on FTD flowers and such that their stock must have gone up. I am a traditional, old fashioned romantic and it is nice to find a lady out there with similar tastes. I do enjoy being in love and having someone love me in return.

I have used dating sites and met a few people, but nothing really worked out. I decided to go back on Match and try again after a year or two. There are a lot of attractive women, but after a lot of searching they all seem to run together. I made some smart-ass comment to a woman, and she says, Ooohhh! I have to meet you. So I did. We met for dinner, went for a walk and after some passionate kissing things took off. She is a nurse for a hospital and a belly dancer. she has a wild side, But also a homebody domestic down to earth country girl side. Totally honest with good values and will tell you what she thinks! We discovered we had great chemistry. We ended up at a hotel a week later. Next date was dinner at her house, (Which I didn't stay the night) and the next day hiking in a canyon and ended up having sex in the great outdoors in a rock overhang. Before we left, she went down on me in the car and vice versa, Some guy drove by in a jeep and was craning his neck to see what we were up to. He got quite a show. lol! A few weeks later we went to a clothing optional hot spring. We got a hotel and had a romantic carnal infused weekend. The hot spring is her place. She would go by herself, because her ex-husband never would. She invited me and it was on my bucket list. We have been together for 5 months and are getting engaged this fall and married in the spring. You just know when it works. I feel really lucky. She is perfect. No doubts about anything. Best of all, she feels the same way.

I have compiled some interesting online dating stories over web , with many references...

• I got walked out on on a date that seemed like it was going fairly well because I said I didn’t like french fries. I am still baffled by it.

• The date where the self-identified “artist” revealed her day job was working as a prison guard, and she spent much of our afternoon on a mumbled, paranoid rant about an anonymous “them” who were on the verge of their incipient take over of everything we hold dear. She wore mirrored wrap-around sun glasses. She ordered $75 worth of lunch, which she wouldn’t touch because she was sure it was contaminated.

• My date ‘encouraged’ me to share the $100 steak for two. It was delicious, but he proceeded to pick out every single piece of fat from his mouth and made a pile of it on the side of his plate. I was so grossed out I couldn’t bring myself to ask what the problem was. By the end of dinner it looked like he’d spit out more than he’d ate.

• I went back to the person’s place after a concert and unwittingly served as passive-aggressive muscle for a drug deal. It was perilously close to that scene from Boogie Nights.

• My worst case dating scenario… was actually not all that bad. But when the conversation turned to “future plans” the guy could not tell me much beyond how many dogs he wanted to own at some future time. He wanted to own thirty dogs. He had their names and breeds picked out already. At the time he owned no dogs at all.

• I went out with a guy in his 30s who told me within the first hour of the date that: he didn’t have a bank account, had never filed taxes, worked on a drug farm, and paid with his “green card” aka pot for goods and services in the neighborhood.

• Nowhere on her profile did it say anything about her being an acid casualty and ketamine dealer.

• It’s a tie. The first is when I waited an hour outside at Harvard Square in late January because my date was in the North End buying pot (not for me.) The second was with a grad student in English who dismissed my skepticism towards Freudianism with, “I guess I’m just not as much of social determinist as you are.” The moral of these stories: don’t date Harvard men.

• Made the wrong comment about conceptual artist Matthew Barney to the wrong art student… got called a “bourgeois pig.”

• He spent one-third of the time telling me about the musical he was writing about raccoons, one-third of the time talking about C++, and one-third of the time demonstrating the plot of Othello using the salt and pepper shakers.

• The seemingly bohemian alt industrial-music dj was still enough of a “nice jewish girl” that she insisted our first meeting be a dinner with her mother at an Italian chain restaurant in the Valley.

• I am pretty good at not going out on dates unless I am fairly certain that I have picked someone I am at least a little compatible with, but at one point, I ended up going out with a girl to a cafe, where she had secretly invited her friends, who, it turns out, were mostly just AA buddies, and the next thing I knew, I was at an AA meeting. I don’t really drink much, and I don’t really have a problem with it, and I didn’t really know the girl very well, and I didn’t want to be there. While I am sure it was great for her, it was just not where I expected to be on a first date.

• I can’t even begin to rehash the details, but the guy drove a Cougar as if it were a Ferrari, had a facial twitch that I’m pretty sure can be seen from space, had favorite hobbies along the lines of watching History channel documentaries, and disapproved of my eating of croutons in my salad. Because of carbs.

• I went on a date with an otherwise cute girl who wore a “Trogdor the Burninator” shirt and said at least one 4chan meme to me, unprompted, out loud.

• I once went out with someone who, within an hour of meeting me, told me that his ultimate fantasy was to date a replicant.

• Went on two dates. Girl followed me on twitter. Girl randomly started replying and cursing at my tweets.

• This guy commutes to the city from Connecticut, which I never really get (why not just live in New York?). I suggested that he must really treasure his vegetable garden or something in order to put up with 2.5 hours/day on Metro- North. He told me that when he bought his house, he hired a landscaper to tear everything out and replace it with gravel. “Like a prison yard?” I asked. He called me a hippie for growing my own vegetables.

• My dates “catch phrase” was a quote from Seinfeld. I love TV, so I thought that was a good sign. When we meet, I start to talk about Seinfeld and he tells me he doesn’t watch tv and doesn’t even own one.

• A young woman and I got along pretty well in the bar where we’d agreed to meet, but things went downhill when we decided to get dinner at a nearby restaurant. Our server brought us a bread basket that my date grabbed three of four rolls from and then started playing weird games with. Like, she would scoop dough out of a roll, pound it into a little ball, and then put it back in the basket! She would then fill the little remaining crust-boat with olive oil, take a bite from it, and refill it. Eating is cool. Playdough, less so. Did you ever see that movie ‘Conspirators of Pleasure,’ with the woman who fetishizes bread and snorts dough balls? It reminded me of that, which might say more about me as lousy digital dater than her.

• We agreed to meet at a bar even though he didn’t drink (when I asked if he went to meetings instead, he was silent). On the phone it had come up that he was a Redsox fan — I am a diehard Yankees fan. But I thought a little rivalry could be fun — I have a lot of Yankee fan friends who have married Redsox fans and they both have a sense of humor about it! When I met him at the bar he proceeded to tell me that 1) If we became a couple I would only be allowed to wear my Yankees hats/shirts when I was home visiting my family; never around him; 2)I should not expect him to talk to me while he was watching Redsox games on TV; and 3) we could not get married in October because he needed to keep the post-season available for any potential Redsox trips to the World Series.

• My online date was eight-and-a-half months pregnant. She never mentioned that prior to our meeting. True, I swear. My first words on our date were: ‘Pardon me, but are you pregnant?’ A gay friend of hers, it turns out, had inseminated her with a turkey baster, or so she said. When I asked what she was doing on a blind date when she was going to give birth in two weeks she said: ‘The baby has me; I want someone.’

• A poet offered to pick me up for dinner and a movie. I accepted, and that’s where everything went wrong. For dinner, we went to Ikea for a $5 platter of Swedish meatballs. NO I’M TOTALLY SERIOUS. And the movie? The movie was one of those free movies-in-the-park, and it just so happened to be Spongebob Squarepants and the park was full of children. I hate Spongebob Squarepants. On top of that, he only packed a very small blanket and asked why I hadn’t brought a blanket for myself (um, because I thought we were going to a theater?).

• A guy said how great it was that I was a “mommy,” and when I explained that I was more a mom than a mommy, and a bit about my parenting philosophy about trying to make my then-young son more independent, he corrected me. “You’ll always be a mommy,” he told me. “That’s the gift you got when you had your son.” Not only was he totally infantilizing me with his gross Ronny Reagan virgin-mother bullshit, and presuming to explain for me my place in the world (without having met me) but he wasn’t fucking listening. I explained, nicely, why it bugged me, and he said he was glad he found out early how ugly I was on the inside.

• I met a guy for coffee. As we were sitting outside of the coffee shop enjoying some nice conversation he told me how he was working on writing some music. He then proceeded to sing, very loudly, his current endeavor in song writing. It was about killing unicorns (and no he was not being ironic). I kept making, “oh that’s nice,” “okay,” sort of comments and he just kept singing louder and louder.

1. The site is a platform. It’s only as good as the people who sign up for it.
2. Personality matching tests are only as good as the answers people provide. People lie (shocker!!) to make themselves look better, more so out of insecurity than malice.
3. “Success” is defined by some as getting laid, for others it’s getting married. People who only want to get laid often lie that they want a serious relationship or marriage.
4. Emotionally unavailable people are disproportionately represented in every dating service, not just the online sites.
5. People with delusional expectations are disproportionately represented.
6. Many people don’t understand that you have to put time and work into a relationship to become genuine. You don’t custom order the perfect relationship from an online menu.
7. A little over 20% of the general population has what’s known as an avoidant attachment style which is at first characterized by jumping into an instant relationship, then losing interest quickly. They are always on the lookout for the idealized “ONE”.
8. Another 20% of the population has what is known as an anxious attachment style. They jump into instant relationships but push people away due to hypersensitivity and a deep fear of abandonment.
9. After a few bad experiences, negativity takes over. Once this happens, the person will start repelling people left right and center.
10. There is no social cost to being rude to someone you met online because likely you’ll never see them again. The same person would often behave much better had you met through work or a friend, because there is a social cost to being a jerk and being found out.
11. If you are trying to get your self-esteem from a relationship, you are already setting yourself up for failure.
12. There are too many choices. There is always someone “better” out there. You can’t concentrate or appreciate the one you have because someone who is better looking, more attentive, funnier, taller, slimmer, wealthier just might be a click away.
13. You need to have a solid sense of self-worth, be a good judge of character and have thick skin to succeed in online dating. Some people have this. Many do not.

So I first of all I have always been a bit of a geek, growing up with 3 older brothers I was surrounded by anime, videogames and Age of Empires. I am now 24 and just started my first ever relationship. I was never considered one of the pretty girls at my school mainly because I chose to dress quite tomboyish, wore glasses, had braces and used to hang out mostly with guys. In college I wasn’t much into dating as I was very busy managing class and 2 part time jobs. My friends forced me to download tinder (as all good friends do) and as you can imagine, I had no luck and ended up having 2 dates with very superficial guys. After I graduated and was between jobs, I finally had some free time and decided to get back into the dating scene, I refused to be the only 24 year old in my city who had never had a real boyfriend. I downloaded about 4 dating apps that popped up in my AppStore and started swiping and chatting. Few months ago I met this guy on JustDating and it we had so much in common I even thought It was one of my brothers pranking me. Of course I wanted to see if he was a real person so after exchanging numbers we FaceTimed for the first time around thanksgiving. We clicked instantly and our first call turned into a 3 hour conversation about movies, TV series, manga and videogames. We met in person a few days later and have been in a relationship since December. I am beyond happy because I honestly thought I was never going to meet anyone who was interested in the same things as me or interested in Me! :3

As a woman using dating sites, yes there are successes. But they seem to be few.

I met my ex husband through someone i met online dating. Not sure if thats a success seeing as how he's an ex now but eh.

I met a ton of great people for flings or friendship. Some people i have stayed in contact with for years now.

I'm currently dating someone I met online. Going on 4 months now. We are talking about seriousness so who knows where it will go.

And then, more than these, are the weirdos. Have to weed through a lot of nutcases and pervertd to find someone decent.

Women get way more attention then men online. Make your message stand out. Personalize it with something from her profile. In my case, humor worked everytime. Even if I didn't like their pictures, i still responded to atleast acknowledge them and wish them luck.

Tons of positive experiences! A few bad ones too.

Dating is a skill that can be learned. Online dating is also a skill, a separate skill, that can be learned.

A lot of my earlier experiences were negative. In fact, the one that stands out the most is this one:

Before I’d lost my virginity I had scheduled a date with a woman from OKCupid. She sounded really enthusiastic (to me at the time) to meet up for the first time. We talked on the phone once, not a long conversation but enough to kind of get to know each other. Set up the date about halfway between us (about a 5 minute drive for both of us, so not very far at all).

I got there a little bit early and I waited. Waited about a half hour. Had texted her after about 10 minutes and nothing… never heard from her. Waited another 10 just to be safe and still nothing.

What life would have been like had I given up…. I shudder to think.

But I persisted and now I have racked up a ton of experiences from online dating! I’ve got my favorite story ever from Tinder that I posted on Quora, you can read it here if you want: Quora User's answer to What are some interesting Tinder stories?

I met a woman a few years ago that I fell in love with from OKCupid. While we didn’t last she was my first real girlfriend and I’m thankful for the lessons that I learned from being with her. I also met my best friend on OKCupid and I dunno what I’d do without her.

I’ve also been able to help other men with my knowledge of how online dating works and that by itself is more than worth going through the shitty experiences. To see their eyes light up with joy when they finally understand and can make it work for themselves.

On its own that is priceless to me.

I can only speak from the perspective of straight dating.

My understanding is that they don't work for a whole variety of reasons starting with lies and lack of authenticity or social accountability - since it's a parade of random strangers with no context.

But there is another aspect to it…. many seem to lose the ability to focus on getting to know a person at all, or give it enough time, if getting laid is available on the menu. One may spend more time with someone they met elsewhere and let the natural flow take it's course. But here the “agenda” to get laid is spelt out by just the fact of having met in a dating platform - whatever else happens in parallel while getting laid or even after it. It puts pressure on the whole process to get to physical intimacy quicker than one or the other might actually feel they'd want to really.

My guess is people who might have clicked otherwise - crash and burn more often than not when they meet on dating sites of any kind.

CougarD, I think. Yeah, you may not hear about it, but it’s good to use, I think. Things were so amazing after I used it for a month. Beautiful layout, simple sign-up process, easy to navigate, hot mature women, high rates of a successful match, and nice dating environment. CougarD gives me the best dating experience, truly.😛😁👵🏻✔ Besides,I feel it is worth mentioning that it is very safe when used!!!! It won't ask for your phone number to use, just use your email address. I was afraid that there would be a lot of harassing information, so I just use my email address that I don't use very often. However, after using it for a while, I found that no one sent me harassing messages. Most of the people above are very sincere in their search for their other half, and I have to say that I like the atmosphere. 😮💕😁

While LinkedIn is primarily designed as a professional networking platform, there are some individuals who have shared positive experiences using it for both professional networking and personal connections. However, it’s important to distinguish between its intended use for career-related purposes and using it for more personal or social engagements like dating. Here’s a look at both aspects:

Positive Experiences with Professional Networking:

1. Building Strong Professional Connections:
   Many professionals have had success using LinkedIn to connect with people in their field, leading to collaborations, business opportunities, and mentorship. For example, someone in the marketing industry might connect with another expert, exchange insights, and eventually work together on projects or even form partnerships.
2. Job Opportunities:
   LinkedIn has been a vital tool for job seekers. Professionals report success in receiving job offers after connecting with recruiters or hiring managers through LinkedIn. Job seekers can leverage the platform’s advanced features, like “Open to Work” and LinkedIn Premium, to gain more visibility and increase their chances of being contacted for opportunities.
3. Expanding Professional Network:
   Many users find that connecting with industry peers, thought leaders, and experts on LinkedIn allows them to build a valuable network. Networking through LinkedIn has led to valuable introductions that result in new job roles, collaborations, and long-term professional relationships.
4. Sharing Knowledge and Building Personal Brand:
   Posting thought leadership content, engaging with industry discussions, and sharing expertise has allowed many professionals to build their personal brand on LinkedIn. People who consistently share valuable insights can attract job offers, speaking engagements, and other opportunities that enhance their careers.

Experiences of Using LinkedIn for Dating (Not Recommended):

While some people may attempt to use LinkedIn for dating purposes, it's generally not recommended. LinkedIn is a professional platform, and using it for personal or romantic reasons can be seen as inappropriate by many. However, there have been instances where individuals have connected with others on LinkedIn and developed meaningful personal relationships outside of the platform. These instances typically occur when two people have common interests, such as in the same industry or field, and build a connection based on shared professional goals, rather than a primary interest in dating.

Here are some possible scenarios in which LinkedIn has facilitated positive connections beyond strictly professional networking:

1. Common Interests and Networking:
   Two people may meet on LinkedIn due to shared professional interests, such as entrepreneurship, social impact, or a common industry. Through frequent communication and collaboration on projects, they might develop a strong rapport, and if the relationship evolves naturally, they may eventually connect personally. However, this is a rare occurrence and should be approached with caution, maintaining professionalism.
2. Building Friendships:
   Some users have reported that they’ve made lasting friendships through LinkedIn by connecting over common career goals or passions. These friendships can lead to more casual or social interactions, although LinkedIn itself is not designed for these types of relationships.
3. Networking for Personal Growth:
   A few people have found mentors on LinkedIn, and these mentorship relationships sometimes evolve into deeper personal connections. For example, a mentor might help guide someone through career challenges, and over time, their bond may become one of friendship or mutual support.

The Risks of Using LinkedIn for Dating:

1. Inappropriate Boundaries:
   Because LinkedIn is a professional platform, attempting to use it for dating can cross boundaries. Most users are there to advance their careers, and a romantic overture or an inappropriate message could be seen as unprofessional and potentially damaging to one's reputation.
2. Perception of Misuse:
   Those who try to use LinkedIn as a dating platform may face negative perceptions from others. Many professionals view LinkedIn as a space for career development, and anything outside that context can be seen as out of place or even as an abuse of the platform.
3. Privacy Concerns:
   Using LinkedIn for personal connections or dating can blur the line between professional and personal life. Sharing too much personal information or seeking out romantic relationships may result in unwanted attention, compromising privacy.

Conclusion

While LinkedIn is fundamentally a tool for professional networking, some people have found positive experiences through it that extend beyond career development, whether through mentorship, collaboration, or even personal friendships. However, using LinkedIn for dating is generally seen as unprofessional and should be approached with caution. It's important to respect the platform’s purpose and the expectations of other users.

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