Rendezvous keyboard-style
Looking for love in online places
Ervin Malakaj
Issue date: 1/20/04 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Throughout the world, fingers are hitting keys and creating magic.
Online dating has become the new dating service of choice for many and is sometimes a last resort in finding the "right" person after a string of real life failures.
Technological advances have not only made online dating a big hit, but also made the way humans interact and court one another different than any other century in history.
Two examples illustrate the pros and cons of online dating, and the possible outcomes it may have:
A19 year old UIC female (who chose to remain anonymous) has been in an online relationship for over a year now. In the beginning the couple met on an online chat-site and found that the two had a lot in common.
Gradually they got to know one another and eventually wanted to meet up. However, there was one problem - her online boyfriend lived in Brazil.
As time passed, the couple continued to learn more about one another and sent pictures to one another over the Net.
After countless conversations on the Internet and over the phone, the UIC student went to Brazil over winter break to meet face to face.
Some may wonder how this situation would work. The UIC student was quite optimistic though.
"If you really want something and you feel as if it is right, you can wait 6 months or a year, or however long it takes to get it," she said.
After all this, there is only one conclusion to be made - the Internet can be an interesting place to meet people. It may not always be the best way to meet people and online daters should not expect too much, but for those looking for more adventure in their love life, online dating may provide that necessary spark.
However, a positive outcome is never guaranteed.
An anonymous 31 year-old female is happily married, has a great house and lives a wonderful life on the north side of Chicago, until one day when she forgot everything she had.
That day she visited an online chat-room, hoping to waste some time before taking off to work. However, she didn't go to work that day - she stayed online.
The situation was actually a simple one. When she entered the chat-room, a conversation window popped up, greeting her with a simple "hi."
As most people would, she responded to the pleasant greeting. From that point on, the conversation took off to a whole new level.
In just a few minutes, the couple formed a bond that would usually take years for others to establish. The only thing not mentioned in conversation was the marital status and names of both individuals.
"He was so romantic, honest, tempting and open to new ideas," said the woman. "In the short time that we talked, he made the adrenaline level in my body rise to unbelievable limits."
The woman had forgotten she was married and for some time thought that he was all she wanted in her life.
His views of the world were in line with hers and the words and phrases he used to explain himself were magical.
A whole night had passed and the woman's new online romance eventually asked to see pictures of her. However, she did not want to send pictures because she was afraid her husband would find out.
The gentleman on the computer offered his phone number, but again she refused due to the fear of her husband finding out.
Eventually, she decided to call him.
"What a disappointment," she said. "His romantic sense was only present in writing, but when I contacted him, he was another person."
Just like the archaic form of person-to-person contact, all outcomes are possible in relationships.
Staff writer Ervin Malakaj can be reached at chicagoflame@chicagoflame.com
Online dating has become the new dating service of choice for many and is sometimes a last resort in finding the "right" person after a string of real life failures.
Technological advances have not only made online dating a big hit, but also made the way humans interact and court one another different than any other century in history.
Two examples illustrate the pros and cons of online dating, and the possible outcomes it may have:
A19 year old UIC female (who chose to remain anonymous) has been in an online relationship for over a year now. In the beginning the couple met on an online chat-site and found that the two had a lot in common.
Gradually they got to know one another and eventually wanted to meet up. However, there was one problem - her online boyfriend lived in Brazil.
As time passed, the couple continued to learn more about one another and sent pictures to one another over the Net.
After countless conversations on the Internet and over the phone, the UIC student went to Brazil over winter break to meet face to face.
Some may wonder how this situation would work. The UIC student was quite optimistic though.
"If you really want something and you feel as if it is right, you can wait 6 months or a year, or however long it takes to get it," she said.
After all this, there is only one conclusion to be made - the Internet can be an interesting place to meet people. It may not always be the best way to meet people and online daters should not expect too much, but for those looking for more adventure in their love life, online dating may provide that necessary spark.
However, a positive outcome is never guaranteed.
An anonymous 31 year-old female is happily married, has a great house and lives a wonderful life on the north side of Chicago, until one day when she forgot everything she had.
That day she visited an online chat-room, hoping to waste some time before taking off to work. However, she didn't go to work that day - she stayed online.
The situation was actually a simple one. When she entered the chat-room, a conversation window popped up, greeting her with a simple "hi."
As most people would, she responded to the pleasant greeting. From that point on, the conversation took off to a whole new level.
In just a few minutes, the couple formed a bond that would usually take years for others to establish. The only thing not mentioned in conversation was the marital status and names of both individuals.
"He was so romantic, honest, tempting and open to new ideas," said the woman. "In the short time that we talked, he made the adrenaline level in my body rise to unbelievable limits."
The woman had forgotten she was married and for some time thought that he was all she wanted in her life.
His views of the world were in line with hers and the words and phrases he used to explain himself were magical.
A whole night had passed and the woman's new online romance eventually asked to see pictures of her. However, she did not want to send pictures because she was afraid her husband would find out.
The gentleman on the computer offered his phone number, but again she refused due to the fear of her husband finding out.
Eventually, she decided to call him.
"What a disappointment," she said. "His romantic sense was only present in writing, but when I contacted him, he was another person."
Just like the archaic form of person-to-person contact, all outcomes are possible in relationships.
Staff writer Ervin Malakaj can be reached at chicagoflame@chicagoflame.com
Be the first to comment on this story