[MedChick87]

All good questions! I've done online dating many times in the last 5 years or so and each time yielded different results. To answer your questions:

-Did you like online dating? Did you meet your significant other that way?

I think there are pros and cons to online dating. I found it was a great way to get introduced to a lot of people that you wouldn't have normally met. It's nice to have a lot of different guys that you can kind of pick and choose the ones that you think will match your values and interests. On the other hand, there's always the risk that they aren't being upfront and honest about themselves...but then it's always a possibility to come across that in "everyday life" so to speak. As for the second question, I met my current bf of 5 months on plentyoffish. I met the last guy I dated on the same site. You're going to find awesome guys and some crazy ones as well...but that's going to be the situation no matter where you meet someone.

-Is it okay to see multiple people at once?

I definitely think so, to a point obviously. Different people will feel comfortable with different things, but for me, I kept my options open until I was sure I wanted to pursue one particular guy. I think, if you're just casually dating, there's no reason not to hang out with other guys. No need to jump into anything. Just make sure you're honest about what's going on and that you and each guy you date are on the same page about the seriousness of things.

-How long did it take you to realize that you found someone you wanted to commit to?

It took me a couple of weeks to realize that my bf was the guy I wanted to be with. We took things slow, dated other people, and were really casual the first few weeks of dating. You will know if any one particular person is the right one to pursue, but I would suggest taking things as slow as possible. Especially having just left a long-term relationship. It was about a month into dating that my bf and I became "official".

-How did you dress for second/third/fourth dates? First date I did kind of casual, jeans and a nice top. Should I go fancier for the next date if we're going out to dinner, or should I do about the same?

Personally, I would just dress for the occasion. I don't think there's an increasing/decreasing level of dressiness or cuteness that goes with each date. If you're going to a fancier restaurant, maybe dress up a bit more. Our first date was at Starbucks, so obviously I went pretty casual. The next date was at a nicer restaurant, but I still just wore jeans and a cute top. Wear whatever makes you feel confident and is appropriate for the date.

Good luck with everything!

[tessendicott]

Did you like online dating?
Yes and no. I had one horrible relationship come out of online dating. He was VERY abusive and it lasted a year and three months because I was young and naive. This last time though, I was very picky about who I talked to though.

Did you meet your significant other that way?
Yes, what's so funny is that he messaged me and I ignored him for a week, then he was persistent and messaged me again, so I responded and we ended up talking for hours every night for about a month. My plan was to only go on one date with him, but I went out with Mack and we've been together since. (A year and a half now)

-Is it okay to see multiple people at once?
That seems to be a personal preference. I wouldn't, but I know plenty of other people who would, just to see who they liked.


-How long did it take you to realize that you found someone you wanted to commit to?
Like I said, I only wanted to go on one date. Mack and I went to see Inception and then stayed in the parking lot talking until 3am.

[djs06]

-Did you like online dating? Did you meet your significant other that way?

I think for the most part, online dating is great. I met my gf online four years ago (although I didn't set out to meet anyone, really, it was through a blog site). We were friends for a year and have been together for 3. When I was single I went on a few dates from dating sites (okcupid was one of them, and I thought that was probably the best one).


-Is it okay to see multiple people at once? Maybe that's a dumb question but I feel strange going on a date with a guy on Thursday and then out with a different guy Friday. One guy already seems to like me a LOT, and I'm not sure how to deal with it. I like him but we've only gone out twice. I need more time to know if I want to commit, but I don't want to lead him on or hurt him. Which leads to...

It's absolutely okay to see multiple people at once. It's a date, not a marriage commitment. Until you both have a discussion about being exclusive and your relationship expectations, you are free to see whoever you want. That doesn't mean you have to go on a date at every possible free evening if that's not what you want. It's all up to you. (as an aside, it doesn't sound like you're into this guy. Go with your gut.)

-How long did it take you to realize that you found someone you wanted to commit to?

I'm not really sure what you mean by this question. Are you talking about while actively online dating? I guess my experiences with online dating have been rather limited and I didn't go on many dates. So my answer doesn't really apply- my gf and I committed after our first visit (she lived far away at the time).

-How did you dress for second/third/fourth dates? First date I did kind of casual, jeans and a nice top. Should I go fancier for the next date if we're going out to dinner, or should I do about the same?

Depends where you're going. I think the rule of thumb is to wear whatever you feel good in. I don't remember adjusting my wardrobe according to which date it was.

-This is for the guys if one should stumble into this thread: How did you like girls dressing for dates? What's too casual/too dressed up?

I'm not a guy, but since I date girls I can try to answer this anyway . I think it really depends on what you're doing. Too casual would definitely be sweats etc. Too dressed up would be something you would wear to a wedding (unless you're going somewhere that would require you to dress up, of course... and I probably wouldn't think much of someone overdressing, actually). It doesn't matter much to me what my date wears as long as she doesn't look like she rolled out of bed or was trying to pick up someone at the club (I think some guys might go for the latter, though, lol)