I love to scour the personal
ads. There is so much that one can find by just looking in the right places.
The Internet has changed how people meet, sometimes for the worse but oftentimes
for the better. I mean anything that you want you can find.
You want a boyfriend then
look up ads in your local area. You looking
for sex well then try out an adult site, like Adult friend finder,
and just start browsing till you find what you are looking for. Everything
from straight men and women to transsexuals or cross-dressers can be found
with the click of a button and almost all of them have some kind of pic
online. Maybe not on the site but online somewhere.
The worst thing is sorting
out all the porn scammers disguised as real ads. The buyers beware so to
speak. But someone needs to set up some sort of protocol for Internet relationships
and personal ads. For one I would love to see some serious action to get
rid of all the scammers.
It's not really that hard
to spot them, I mean most put the urls in the ad itself and these are ads
that are supposed to be approved before they post! Yeah, Right! There is
nothing more annoying then sending off a great reply to a really interesting
ad and then getting back a link to go to such and such site to see their
pictures. You just know the site is going to charge.
Another thing is that people
need to understand what the other person is looking for and understand
if they are not it. I mean there are lots of ads out there and just because
your first response wasn't interested doesn't mean you need to get angry.
We all like what we like and if that's not you well then maybe the next
one will be. The rule is generally that for every ten or so responses you
will get maybe two or three back. Maybe less, but that's the way it is.
Not everyone that posts an
ad is really serious. And if you do get a positive email back to you and
by chance get a number, DO NOT call that person ten times a day. Not only
do you seem desperate but also it is truly bad form. These people do have
lives other than the Internet, believe it or not.
Also lying is not a good
thing. If you say you look like Cindy Crawford it better be in more ways
than just the mole on your face. The Internet because of its nature is
a place where people can open up and say things they never would have before.
It seems the opposite because you can lie but in actuality most people
are really sincere because they don't know you and if you ever want to
know them then you should be honest to them back.
Oscar Wilde said it best
when he said that "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person.
Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." And though that was before
the time of computers, it applies all too truly. Forget the stigma that
has been placed on personal ads. They are not just for losers. Most are
just people looking for alternative ways to meet people.
So be cool when you post
or respond to an ad and don't try to rush a meeting. Get to know the person
and just let it flow, you'll have more fun that way. Nothing worse than
someone who wants to meet right away and besides they often don't show
up. Which is another thing as well, If you say you are going to be there,
be there. Or call and let them know.
You can have a good time
talking and meeting people online so long as you remember these guidelines.
If nothing else they can provide amusement when you look at all the bad
spelling and sometimes ludicrous situations people want. Try it you might
get a laugh or meet someone cool, cause in the end so long as you are cool,
it's all good!
The Satyr
Wilde, Oscar. The Artist
as Critic: Critical Writings of Oscar Wilde. Edited by Richard Ellmann.
New York: Random House. 1969.
