When I first started dating in the late 90s, internet dating was already a thing.<p>I had a 'relationship' with someone from another college about 100 miles away where we talked online every day for a couple of years before actually meeting. I wanted to meet much earlier, but would get excuse after excuse or our plans would get cancelled.<p>When we met in person, I quickly realized that the person had a completely different personality online and we actually weren't really that compatible. I tried to make it work, because we both had put so much time into it..but it just didn't work out in the end.<p>I learned a valuable lesson after this and in all future online dating, I would setup an in-person date within a week or two. If there were continuing excuses, I would move on. This worked out pretty well for me.<p>Something I noticed is that some women just want someone for emotional support and really aren't looking for a date, even when they are on a dating site, and they will gladly string someone along for attention, adulation, and a self-esteem boost without any intention of starting a real relationship.<p>I'm glad I'm married and don't have to deal with the current online dating trends.
This is nothing new, although the phenomenon is probably more common now.<p>In my case, I met my husband online in 2002, on IRC. We were separated by a continent, and never met in person until 2009. We finally got married in 2013 and have been together ever since. I have online friends with similar experiences, usually where they never meet. But sometimes it works out.