As LiveScience attempts to clarify, this legal effort simply isn’t going to protect Match.com customers. Match never verifies a user’s real name, so users can simply give false info. Exactly like anyone else that you ever meet anywhere in the dating world ever can give false info. (Sure, a coworker is probably going to show up in the office database with their real name, but s/he may still choose to falsify other information about themselves, such as the status of their marriage or sexual orientation or IQ or jeans size, etc.)

Bottom line is, some people lie. Others don’t. The vast majority of people fudge a few things here and there, until they start to get to know the person they’re dating better — because that’s TOTALLY NORMAL. I certainly don’t condone outright lying, but plenty of people lie by omission (failing to indicate that a certain photo was from 20 years or pounds or marriages ago), and plenty of people are dishonest with themselves and others about how ready they are to date, what they’re seeking in a partner, whether those jeans make you look fat, etc. If you’re concerned about security and safety when online dating, GOOD. That paranoia instinct alone will help protect you. Use your gut. Learn to spot red flags. (If that doesn’t come easily to you, hire someone to help, read a good book, have friends check out potential dates’ correspondence or profiles, and follow basic safety tips even if they don’t make sense to you.)

This class-action lawsuit isn’t going to truly protect anyone, in my professional opinion — it’s just going to lull future online daters into a false sense of security, making them think they can slack on the carefully cultivated, common-sense-based safety tricks that *every* single person should employ. I sincerely hope no other daters stumble into bad circumstances like these poor plaintiffs, but this legal “solution” is a farce that I fear will do more harm than good.

I started to warn her about some “Craigslist Crazies” who will occasionally go so far as to send little more than a picture of their genitals… and right then, in real time, she got a ridiculously rude, short and poorly-written response to her ad essentially telling her that there was no way a woman with a picture as cute as hers could a) be her age, and b) be on Craigslist. Talk about a backhanded compliment! He essentially told her to f*ck off and get on Match.com… interesting stragety.

This was *immediately* followed up by a nice-seeming guy who wrote several paragraphs about himself, asked interesting questions… and then got right to the point: he was looking for a third in an M-F-F threesome. Yeah, in response to her ad seeking, you know, a soul mate. Save a LITTLE something for the second date, buddy.

Ah, Craigslist. At least you never fail to entertain!

There are worse ways to spend a Saturday night. After having been out of the country for two weeks, and off the radar for waaaay longer, it sure was nice to get a bit of positive business interaction!

Hopefully it’ll spur me on to bigger and better things come the new year. As it is, I’m busily working on a Lovebug book, and trying to get through all the holiday travels and parties without getting too frazzled or going broke!

Happy holidays and hugs to everyone… I hope to be back to consulting more often come January!

But this story was so cute and heartwarming that it dragged me out of my blogging sabbatical. To every single client who has expressed the feeling that they are “too old” to have any success with online dating: NUH-UH!

If a pair of 83-year-olds can boldly jump into the online scene and *get married*, no less, I think it’s safe to say you’re never too old. Good hunting, daters!

At least, I assume it was kids. That’s exactly the sort of generous yet snarky thing my friends and I would do in our bored, antsy, mildly rebellious teen years. Heh.

On the one hand, sweet — free promotional labor!

On the other hand, I traditionally hate windshield fliers on principle.

But back to the one hand, this actually isn’t a terrible marketing idea, even though malls are frequently full of couples and families.  (Every couple knows a single person who could use a few tips from me!)

But back to the other hand, business cards aren’t the cheapest thing to go papering windshields with.

But back again to the one hand, it takes me forever to bother setting aside the time and clarity to design new flier templates.

But back again to the other hand, who am I kidding?  Grant totally does all my graphic design work.

The one again, even after he does it (and he always does a great job), I take forever to get it printed up.

The other again, who am I kidding?  I could easily work something like that into a lunch break if I actually remembered to do it.

The one, I then forget to actually POST said fliers for months.

The other… I need a nap.

Kids, next time, I’d prefer if you could just steal a T-shirt (or better yet, borrow) and wear it all over town, K?  Especially to parties with lots of singles folks.  But thank you for the help (I think)!

And to anyone who received a windshield flier and was annoyed: this was not my doing.  But call me anyway if you like.  And have a great weekend!