Do any of you single women use the online dating sites to meet people, or if you are married or in a relationship, did you?

Due to the nature of my site, I continue to receive information about more and more of them popping up online for boomers.

Do you have any favorites?

Why, or why don't you use them?

www.fiftyplusconnect.com is advertising on BWS. Miriam is the site owner and she is delightful.

Hi Dotsie, Well, I think I qualify as a mini-expert at least. I've been doing the online dating thing for almost 3 years. Haven't found Mr. Right but met some nice gentlemen. I'm 62 so the field is somewhat limited.

I've used Match.com and Yahoo Personals. One of the issues for some of the smaller sites is that there isn't anyone in your own area, whereas with the big ones there are always dozens who live nearby. Now that doesn't mean they want YOU!

I've probably gone on first dates with three dozen men over the 3 years (most initiated by my letter to them). A handful turned into brief relationships and one lasted 8 months (the first!).

I have learned a tremendous amount about dating and men, especially at this phase of life. Men probably have it much easier in the online world--many consider it a "candy store" and never settle down with one person since they get so much attention from so many women.

For example, I've had 4 first "meets" in the past 2 months--I was interested in all 4 but the first 3 disappeared after the first meet (this is not for the faint of heart...men just can't tell you directly that they don't like you, so they just disappear after saying things that sound like they're interested).

So I don't put a lot of energy into it. I make sure I have a lot of other planned activities (like writing and acting classes) on my agenda. The dating is just an extra and if I run across Prince Charming so be it.

I only ran across one bad actor the entire time and he was another psychologist like me...now that's scary!

So online dating has it ups and downs but there aren't many other ways to meet men...so use it with some caution, lots of objectivity, and realistic expectations. As my friend said to me...well, a girl's gotta eat!! Karen

They still scare me to death. I had about given up on any serious relationship but did get introduced to a Detective some months back and have been seeing him for dinners etc. He is a widower and really a lot of fun. So who knows?

Cool, Chatty! Keep us posted on this guy.

Chatty,
How exciting as Bluebird said keep us posted .

You're dating, Chatty? I think that's great.

During my dating days we didn't have online sites. They did have personals in the newspaper but I never used them.

At least online you can see a picture but who knows if it's really them in the picture or one taken 20 years ago.

I wanted to add that my sister met her French husband on an online dating service.

Karen, a candy store? That sickens me.

Are the majority of the men you've met true to who they say they are in their ads? I'm sure it's hard to tell, but have you ever cuaght any of them forgetting what they posted aobut themselves?

I have a friend who met a guy online and they were speaking to one another daily. then all the sudden he vanished.

She chose not to let it go. She figured why go chasing him is he isn't true to his word! That's the difference between women in midlife dating in comparison to the 20 somethings. Then we thought we could change them. Now we know better.

Chatty, how did you meet him? A detective in Vegas? I bet it would be fun to pick his brains.

Dotsie, Dianne, Bluebird and Renee, Actually I have been aware of this man for quite awhile, many months, but until a dinner the SPCA had here I had only spoken to him on work related matters, you see he works on Animal Abuse cases seeing that the abusers are arrested and prosecuted to the extent of the law. He does this for the SPCA but is actually a Homicide Detective. One of the Authors in my Writers Group has picked his brain for his Crime novels and he has published numerous ones. I write Mystery Flash Fiction and as you know am an animal activist to the max and he is too, so it was kismet that we would meet, at least thats what he says. He asked me one evening after we had retrieved 4 puppies someone dumped at a rest stop probably passing through town, if I'd like to go for coffee? It was about 11:00 PM and we ended up talking for nearly 3 hours. The man makes my knees weak and thats a new one for me. Thats all I'll write here but if theres anything else my "friends" want to know just email me please. I choose to keep some things private now on the boards for obvious reasons.

He makes your knees weak? Wow. That's cool.

Could be a match made in heaven with your mutual interests. The two of you could rid Vegas of animal abusers.