by Jennifer Eblin

Created on: December 01, 2008

"Where are you off to tonight?"

"I have a date."

"Cool, how did you meet him?"

"Actually I met him online."

Dead silence.

That is exactly how the conversation between my best friend and I went on one fateful night. She knew I was still getting over a bad relationship and needed to start dating again. She also knew that I needed to know that there were plenty of other fish in the sea and that as a freelance writer, it was hard for me to meet members of the opposite sex. She knew all of those things and yet she still couldn't explain what it was she hated about online dating. With a disgusted good luck and be safe comment, she was off the phone and I was on my own.

A friend of mine was in a similar position when she met the love of her life on a dating site. She was gorgeous and funny, but had a hard time making a connection with anyone in real life. The man she met was in the military and constantly traveling, which made it hard for him to meet people. When they decided to get married, people were shocked to learn that they met online. She even confessed one night that people said they were too good looking to have to look for love on the computer.

Those of us who have tried online dating are well aware of the negative connotations. Even in this day and age, people still have a hard time putting faith in couples that met online. There's still a stigma that only losers or loners look for love online. In actuality though, many of those people turning to the computer do so because they just don't have the time to seek out someone on their own.

There are also some who look down on those who use online dating sites because they think those websites are full of crazies or psychos. I'll be the first to admit that I've met some crazy guys online, but I've also had some great experiences. Yes there will always be those married guys trying to find a mistress or the freaks that want a one night stand, but there are also some good guys out there too. You just have to look.

For those who think that there's something wrong with people who meet online, I only wish we could trade lives for the day. Anyone who has ever had a problem meeting a partner, getting a date or flirting with a stranger, knows just how easy it is to meet people online. Eventually the stigma of doing so will wear off and we can revel in the fact that we met our new partner over the computer.

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