Boards
I've discovered my fundamental shortcoming with dating websites.
I joined OKCupid! about 5 months ago to see if it was a viable way for me to meet people/go on dates etc. but I've now realised why it doesn't work.
I've got my profile and picture etc. on there and all these other people have got their profiles and pictures on there and that's all fine but I've realised I find the concept of approaching somebody I've never met or spoken to based on an internet profile and picture utterly bizarre, even on a dating website. It feels to me it'd be a bit like approaching a girl off Myspace or Facebook or even DiS who you've never met and attempting to initiate some form of relationship with them.
Similarly on a few occasions girls have messaged me but I can't bring myself to reply 'cos I just think "we've never met. Why the hell are you messaging me?", even though obviously in theory I signed up on there with this exact intention.
On a few occasions I've even had "you and so-and-so have both marked each other 4 or 5 out of 5 for personality and/or looks" but what the hell does that mean? That still doesn't mean it's not weird to email them out of the blue and attempt a conversation where the subtext is mutual desperation.
In fact in six months I'm yet to reply to one message or initiate conversation with one person.
So yeah, dating websites don't seem to take the social awkwardness out of things for me in the way I'd hoped.
I'm not sure what I'm after from this thread. Stories about meeting/contacting people off dating websites perhaps?