Online dating experience/advice

I met my significant other on Match.com, but that was close to 9 years ago now. The scene has completely changed. All I can tell you is that if you are a guy, you will have to work at it and don't feel bad if you spend time trying to make contact with a girl and you hear nothing back. Move on to the next.

Women are HR reps for job postings now?
 
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I was put back into the dating scene roughly 21 months ago when I uncovered a few things that made my wifes sudden infatuation with Ankeny Centennial football that fall make a hell of a lot more sense!!! At first I hit the bar scene with the very few single friends I had and that was honestly a **** show, it was fun but wasn't meeting people in general that I would consider hanging out with long term. Being that my core group of friends are married the next phase was everyone had "someone perfect" for me, which was fun as well and met some cool people but nothing of interest to me beyond a few dates.

I was 100 percent against online dating, until someone pointed out to me that I'm a divorced dad of 3 busy kids and really only have married friends that are just trying to set me up with some one that is "perfect" only because they are also divorced. Life was realistically going to make dating hard so their point was I had to take control of it. I viewed online as more of a way to meet people. As the standard starting point I took to the world of Tinder, which was interesting. It's not hook up crazed people that it's made out to be but still felt somewhat chaotic. Then I tried Bumble on advice from a friend and it felt more like professional women and had a better vibe than Tinder. Through someone I met on Bumble who was really cool but no romantic interest it connected me into a larger group of people. Through that group I met someone that i'm currently dating and has been great.

Long story short view it as a way to meet people if you have a busy life. I took the stance that I was just looking to meet new people vs find someone to date and that's what it ended up being. Another benefit I found is that meeting someone online allows each of you to almost "interivew" each other through a chat process ahead of meeting in person. I can't say I'm neither a fan or opponent of online dating as my experience had good, bad, and crazy experiences attached to it. It truly is what you make it.

Rough stuff, but can relate to having an ex who ran a double life full of men. Somewhat humiliating, but it's made me a better person for sure.

From my experience online dating absolutely sucks. I'd almost rather be single the rest of my life than deal with it. I think you have to be patient and devote ample time to it, neither of which I have. I've dated 2 girls now since my divorce a year ago, and neither have come through online dating. The current girl I'm dating has shown and told me stories about the guys on dating apps, and I can see why most girls run away from online dating. The amount of sexual advances that happen within the first 20 minutes, including **** pics, is just crazy.
 
Reviving this thread as I'm newly single. I was in a relatively great relationship for three years, but for some reason I continued feeling smothered. Everything about the woman was great, and she deserves great things. While I had broken up in late February I had tried to revive being friends with her, but last night that all came to an end as she said that I keep rejecting her over and over. So to stop that I stated emphatically that we are over, and she's since blocked me on every app there is: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, phone, etc. And so now the rebuilding truly starts. I hadn't attempted to connect with anyone since the initial breakup.

I don't really even know where to start. My dating record over a 4 month period prior to this woman was comical, including one woman going to jail for assault after her adult female roommate pulled a gun on her over a dispute about a radio being too loud. I thought I was going to be shot breaking up that fight.

I don't have any single friends. And in my new career I work from home full time which will continue even once the pandemic is deemed "over". I simply don't know what to do or where to start. Worse yet, I'm already feeling the pull to just go back to "claim" the ex-girlfriend, which is what she wants. But I think that's simply due to a want of companionship.

Might be time for a dating-coach or a life-coach. Strange times. Anybody else been through this?
 
Reviving this thread as I'm newly single. I was in a relatively great relationship for three years, but for some reason I continued feeling smothered. Everything about the woman was great, and she deserves great things. While I had broken up in late February I had tried to revive being friends with her, but last night that all came to an end as she said that I keep rejecting her over and over. So to stop that I stated emphatically that we are over, and she's since blocked me on every app there is: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, phone, etc. And so now the rebuilding truly starts. I hadn't attempted to connect with anyone since the initial breakup.

I don't really even know where to start. My dating record over a 4 month period prior to this woman was comical, including one woman going to jail for assault after her adult female roommate pulled a gun on her over a dispute about a radio being too loud. I thought I was going to be shot breaking up that fight.

I don't have any single friends. And in my new career I work from home full time which will continue even once the pandemic is deemed "over". I simply don't know what to do or where to start. Worse yet, I'm already feeling the pull to just go back to "claim" the ex-girlfriend, which is what she wants. But I think that's simply due to a want of companionship.

Might be time for a dating-coach or a life-coach. Strange times. Anybody else been through this?
Get a dog. Women are the worst
 
Reviving this thread as I'm newly single. I was in a relatively great relationship for three years, but for some reason I continued feeling smothered. Everything about the woman was great, and she deserves great things. While I had broken up in late February I had tried to revive being friends with her, but last night that all came to an end as she said that I keep rejecting her over and over. So to stop that I stated emphatically that we are over, and she's since blocked me on every app there is: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, phone, etc. And so now the rebuilding truly starts. I hadn't attempted to connect with anyone since the initial breakup.

I don't really even know where to start. My dating record over a 4 month period prior to this woman was comical, including one woman going to jail for assault after her adult female roommate pulled a gun on her over a dispute about a radio being too loud. I thought I was going to be shot breaking up that fight.

I don't have any single friends. And in my new career I work from home full time which will continue even once the pandemic is deemed "over". I simply don't know what to do or where to start. Worse yet, I'm already feeling the pull to just go back to "claim" the ex-girlfriend, which is what she wants. But I think that's simply due to a want of companionship.

Might be time for a dating-coach or a life-coach. Strange times. Anybody else been through this?

1. Give it a minute. Nothing wrong with being alone for a bit while you shake off the remaining good or bad feelings from your previous relationship.
2. I always started by email/chatting back and forth for a bit, then the phone for a bit, then in person. You can usually spot things you're not up for before you ever have to sit across the table from them. Once we had met, my last filter before progressing was whether they were someone that I would like to introduce to my son (he was between 5-8 when I was doing online dating). If they weren't, it wasn't going any further.
3. Know exactly what you can't stand in a relationship (this will help with the previous process too)
 
Along the same lines, I've got a buddy who has been dating his gf for well over a year now. He is kind of the last one in our friend group to settle down, all of us are late 20s/early 30s. My wife and I, and our friend group were able to meet this girl a couple of times even in spite of the pandemic over the last year and we all really like her for him. Problem is, he has confided in me that he isn't sure how to progress. He says by now he feels like he should be feeling something compelling him to help their relationship move to the next level. He asked when I knew with my wife, if there was a lightbulb moment. I was not really sure how to answer that, as we dated for 6 years before I popped the question, then engaged for another year. Anyone have some words of wisdom I can give him? He is the type of guy I kind of worry he'll be alone forever if this doesn't work out.
 
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Along the same lines, I've got a buddy who has been dating his gf for well over a year now. He is kind of the last one in our friend group to settle down, all of us are late 20s/early 30s. My wife and I, and our friend group were able to meet this girl a couple of times even in spite of the pandemic over the last year and we all really like her for him. Problem is, he has confided in me that he isn't sure how to progress. He says by now he feels like he should be feeling something compelling him to help their relationship move to the next level. He asked when I knew with my wife, if there was a lightbulb moment. I was not really sure how to answer that, as we dated for 6 years before I popped the question, then engaged for another year. Anyone have some words of wisdom I can give him? He is the type of guy I kind of worry he'll be alone forever if this doesn't work out.

The ****? All my close friends are in the same age bracket and only one is married.

Love isn't real.
 
Reviving this thread as I'm newly single. I was in a relatively great relationship for three years, but for some reason I continued feeling smothered. Everything about the woman was great, and she deserves great things. While I had broken up in late February I had tried to revive being friends with her, but last night that all came to an end as she said that I keep rejecting her over and over. So to stop that I stated emphatically that we are over, and she's since blocked me on every app there is: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, phone, etc. And so now the rebuilding truly starts. I hadn't attempted to connect with anyone since the initial breakup.

I don't really even know where to start. My dating record over a 4 month period prior to this woman was comical, including one woman going to jail for assault after her adult female roommate pulled a gun on her over a dispute about a radio being too loud. I thought I was going to be shot breaking up that fight.

I don't have any single friends. And in my new career I work from home full time which will continue even once the pandemic is deemed "over". I simply don't know what to do or where to start. Worse yet, I'm already feeling the pull to just go back to "claim" the ex-girlfriend, which is what she wants. But I think that's simply due to a want of companionship.

Might be time for a dating-coach or a life-coach. Strange times. Anybody else been through this?

I got back into the dating seen after 9 years of marriage (early 30's). This was about 3 years ago now. Here's my advice.

1. Know what you're looking for. Are you interested in flings, or something serious.
2. Determine what you're comfortable with. Are you okay with he/she having kids from a previous relationship? Are you okay with someone who believes something different than you? Super religious or not. Age difference a concern?

While there's plenty of "fish on the sea" you need to figure out what kind of catch you are looking for. Otherwise it can be a bit overwhelming.

Once you have an idea of what you're looking for that can assist is selecting what type of online dating app you want. Some dating apps are curtailed to specific interests. You'll have to do some research.

Once you've decided what dating app(s) (I used three at once) the most important thing is your photos (especially the main one a person will see when they swipe left or right).

The big thing I noticed, when I was doing my dating app research, was the picture the app was using to market its product. They'd show the images of various people and it reminded me of senior photos. They weren't business professional (in a suit and tie), but more semi casual and semi-close up. I went to a photographer, showed them similar images, and said I'm looking for semi-casual close ups to use in online dating apps. See images below for a visual of what I'm talking about (or just Google "Dating app images" and go into the images section and you'll see what I mean.

I ended up using a couple of them, along with some other "less professional" images, when I made my portfolios.

Once you get past the texting and decide to meet this was the typical formula.

Date 1: Asked the female out for coffee or drink. I'd let them choose a location they were comfortable with. First date was more "interview". Do you look like your photo. What do you do, what are your thoughts regarding a,b,c. If the date went good I'd sometimes ask if they wanted to continue with dinner.

Date 2: Activity of some sort. Less interview like. Ask slightly more serious questions.

Date 3 & 4: Activity with more serious questions. Previously married? Have kids etc.
 

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I used online dating basically when it was still dial up internet but I can't imagine dating with all the apps and social media platforms now.
Basically if I ever had to date again (god forbid) I would chose "monk or hermit" as my new relationship status.
 
Dating seems like it's been hurt by this whole "Instagrammable moments" movement, where everything from gender reveals to prom inquiries need to have a whole photographable, performative "moment" to them. I can't imagine how hard it is to live up to those expectations as a guy. I can't tell you current relevant dating tips or tricks, as I haven't dated since before texting was a thing.

But I can tell you a few things about women, and what they are looking for:

- Honesty and openness - I know that the bad boy who is emotionally unavailable/a liar is a big draw when you're 22, but women who are still going for that type at 28, 32, etc. are not going to be your long-term type of girlfriends. (Read as - they're going to often be a big bag of crazy.) It's much better to just be honest about your feelings, and not hide them. If you are interested in exploring a relationship with someone after a few dates, say it. If you're not looking for anything long-term going into a date, say it. It just saves everyone time, and lets a woman know not to be over- or under-invested. And while we're at it - same thing in a relationship. If you're feeling like something isn't right, tell her, and it either gives you both a chance to work on it or to decide if it's a dealbreaker. Why waste everyone's time?

Also to this point - if you're 100% not interested in any long-term dating anyone, tell a woman that either as soon as you match, or as soon as you can. Put it on your bio or on a T-shirt, whatever can most effectively that you're just looking for casual fun. If she wants the babies and the ring and the house, you're wasting her time and being a **** if you string it out hiding it. If she still expects that after being told your expectations up-front, that's on her.

- Be an active participant - everyone wants to talk to someone who asks them questions, who listens to their answers. This is especially true if you're looking for something long-term. I can tell you from all kinds of personal experiences in the past, as well as conversations with friends still on the market - neither giving your entire resume and personal history and asking a woman nothing (and not even giving her time to interject), nor burying your head in your phone is going to elicit a positive reaction. (These are both more common problems than you might think.) Be interested in the person with whom you are interacting - and if you 100% can't find a way to be interested, then they're probably not the right person, and see my previous bullet point.

- Cool down, killer - We all know you want to get some action, but if you're literally never planning on talking to a woman again after, either keep it in your pants, or again just say, "I don't think that this is going to work out between us but I find you attractive - want to hook up?" Yes, some women actually do enjoy sex, so this may not get you a knee to the crotch. (But it might, so there's that.)

- Is there a ghost in this house - Nobody likes to be ghosted. I've heard a lot of friends (men and women) tell stories about it, and how hard is it to just send a, "Hey, I had a good time, but think we're not a match" text or something?
 
Dating seems like it's been hurt by this whole "Instagrammable moments" movement, where everything from gender reveals to prom inquiries need to have a whole photographable, performative "moment" to them. I can't imagine how hard it is to live up to those expectations as a guy. I can't tell you current relevant dating tips or tricks, as I haven't dated since before texting was a thing.

But I can tell you a few things about women, and what they are looking for:

- Honesty and openness - I know that the bad boy who is emotionally unavailable/a liar is a big draw when you're 22, but women who are still going for that type at 28, 32, etc. are not going to be your long-term type of girlfriends. (Read as - they're going to often be a big bag of crazy.) It's much better to just be honest about your feelings, and not hide them. If you are interested in exploring a relationship with someone after a few dates, say it. If you're not looking for anything long-term going into a date, say it. It just saves everyone time, and lets a woman know not to be over- or under-invested. And while we're at it - same thing in a relationship. If you're feeling like something isn't right, tell her, and it either gives you both a chance to work on it or to decide if it's a dealbreaker. Why waste everyone's time?

Also to this point - if you're 100% not interested in any long-term dating anyone, tell a woman that either as soon as you match, or as soon as you can. Put it on your bio or on a T-shirt, whatever can most effectively that you're just looking for casual fun. If she wants the babies and the ring and the house, you're wasting her time and being a **** if you string it out hiding it. If she still expects that after being told your expectations up-front, that's on her.

- Be an active participant - everyone wants to talk to someone who asks them questions, who listens to their answers. This is especially true if you're looking for something long-term. I can tell you from all kinds of personal experiences in the past, as well as conversations with friends still on the market - neither giving your entire resume and personal history and asking a woman nothing (and not even giving her time to interject), nor burying your head in your phone is going to elicit a positive reaction. (These are both more common problems than you might think.) Be interested in the person with whom you are interacting - and if you 100% can't find a way to be interested, then they're probably not the right person, and see my previous bullet point.

- Cool down, killer - We all know you want to get some action, but if you're literally never planning on talking to a woman again after, either keep it in your pants, or again just say, "I don't think that this is going to work out between us but I find you attractive - want to hook up?" Yes, some women actually do enjoy sex, so this may not get you a knee to the crotch. (But it might, so there's that.)

- Is there a ghost in this house - Nobody likes to be ghosted. I've heard a lot of friends (men and women) tell stories about it, and how hard is it to just send a, "Hey, I had a good time, but think we're not a match" text or something?
7BUj.gif
 
#LOVEISN'TREAL

But if you must try.... of the free apps...

Tinder to hook up
Bumble to have casual relationships, women start the conversation but 99% it's "hey"
Coffee Meets Bagel used to be way better when you got one person a day to swipe on. Was very good that way. Now it's a lot like Bumble.
Hinge for real dates, far more "serious"
OkCupid for shy people
Grindr for LGBT
Feeld for kinky people, threesomes, swingers

Most of my best dates have been on Bumble and Hinge. Tinder was awesome in 2013 but now it's really meh. Dating sucks in general and it's even worse these days during the pandemic.

Never tried any paid app/website like Match or eHarmony.
This made me laugh. How can one person be so informed on all of the dating apps? You must go fishing A LOT.