Internet loving and the art of lying
I appreciate I've been writing this blog since last year (don't you love the change into a new year when you can make grand statements of time that while technically true don't necessarily portray an accurate passing of time...) but it's still not something I admit to openly, as blogging, to me, still has that sense of either being used to announce marriage break-ups (ala Britney Spears), to perpetuate a media tart profile or it is the hobby of a socially dysfunctional 15 year old who given the chance would much prefer to be creating a life narrative whereby women like Paris Hilton meet them and have all their clothes accidentally fall off, or where Angelina Jolie leaves Brad and the kids at home for a quick shag in a car... So, to find myself writing a blog is an perplexing dichotomy at times.
In the past, my mental image of bloggers has always been of 40 year old paunchy men wearing flannel dressing gowns over trackers who break up the tedium of searching for porn by writing something about Star Trek or Dr Who. These are also the type of men I have assumed would use internet dating services.
So, faced with the decision point of possibly registering for internet dating while also writing a blog, 2007 has already become the year of ego check for me.
Internet dating to me is like admitting failure. I interact with society, I know people, I have friends...how is it then that I need to engage in email flirting with random strangers to qualify for 2 for 1 nights at the movies?
And more importantly, how do I manage to synthesise my personality and life views down to 300 words that don't sound overly posh or superior so that the email flirting isn't limited only to tossers?
The questionnaire is worse than a job interview - favourite colour, favourite food, favourite movie... hobbies, height, weight, animals liked, political persuasion... leaving as far as I can see, very little to talk about on the date as there will be no mystery. And who has a favourite colour past the age of 6?
The questionnaire, much like the myers briggs personality inventory, doesn't really allow for realistic answers. Favourite food - "anything prepared by anyone else" appears to not be an appropriate response in this 5 point likert scaled drop down box world in which we live...
So, I've been thinking about my profile and working out just how far the truth can bend for this execise, leading me to realise, if I'm lying chances are my potential internet lothario has probably also engaged in a few subtle but necessary omissions of the cold harsh truth.
Let's face it, if the people registered with internet dating services are as sane, funny and intelligent as they claim to be why are they registered with an internet dating service? I've at least moved country and due to a strict moral code of never seeing people with whom I work, my opportunity to meet and greet is somewhat limited, or potentially classified as stalking.
Match.com in the UK claims to have more than half a million registered users as does rsvp.com.au in Australia. When did going to the pub, having a few drinks and a conversation become so passe?
Anyway, if nothing else, I should get a few posts out of this - so think of it as field research!
In the past, my mental image of bloggers has always been of 40 year old paunchy men wearing flannel dressing gowns over trackers who break up the tedium of searching for porn by writing something about Star Trek or Dr Who. These are also the type of men I have assumed would use internet dating services.
So, faced with the decision point of possibly registering for internet dating while also writing a blog, 2007 has already become the year of ego check for me.
Internet dating to me is like admitting failure. I interact with society, I know people, I have friends...how is it then that I need to engage in email flirting with random strangers to qualify for 2 for 1 nights at the movies?
And more importantly, how do I manage to synthesise my personality and life views down to 300 words that don't sound overly posh or superior so that the email flirting isn't limited only to tossers?
The questionnaire is worse than a job interview - favourite colour, favourite food, favourite movie... hobbies, height, weight, animals liked, political persuasion... leaving as far as I can see, very little to talk about on the date as there will be no mystery. And who has a favourite colour past the age of 6?
The questionnaire, much like the myers briggs personality inventory, doesn't really allow for realistic answers. Favourite food - "anything prepared by anyone else" appears to not be an appropriate response in this 5 point likert scaled drop down box world in which we live...
So, I've been thinking about my profile and working out just how far the truth can bend for this execise, leading me to realise, if I'm lying chances are my potential internet lothario has probably also engaged in a few subtle but necessary omissions of the cold harsh truth.
Let's face it, if the people registered with internet dating services are as sane, funny and intelligent as they claim to be why are they registered with an internet dating service? I've at least moved country and due to a strict moral code of never seeing people with whom I work, my opportunity to meet and greet is somewhat limited, or potentially classified as stalking.
Match.com in the UK claims to have more than half a million registered users as does rsvp.com.au in Australia. When did going to the pub, having a few drinks and a conversation become so passe?
Anyway, if nothing else, I should get a few posts out of this - so think of it as field research!
