Thoughts On: POF, OKCupid, Tinder, & Blendr?

[SoulRaven]

I joined POF years ago, I signed up on the 'free' part and got a few responses and met a couple of nice women around my age, I think I was about 60 at the time. The two I met were looking for a relationship in a hurry, move in together or commit quickly. That wasn't for me. I joined the pay part of it and got more responses, some from women way younger than me who, I guess, were looking for a 'sugar daddy' , so I just dropped out and canceled my membership. POF never goes away, I still get messages and have asked them several times to delete my picture from their website.

I don't drink much so bars are out and supposedly church is another place to meet other singles, a friend who is Mormon has tried to get me to attend a service with her and meet the singles there. Nope.

If one comes and knocks on my door maybe I'll be interested, until then it's the single life for me.

 

[Cheli]

This could have just as easily happened with a guy you met off-line (as often happens)...after 3 years I don't think the dating app was at fault for that.

I would say my experiences have been fairly positive, with one recent exception. They didn't work out, not because I'd met them online, but because we had different goals or didn't have the connection needed to move forward or there was no chemistry...in just the same ways as things didn't work out with guys I met offline.

I keep using dating apps and online websites because I am just not particularly social and there are fewer and fewer opportunities for me to meet someone as I get older and more and more guys out there are married with kids, or not wanting another relationship after a divorce.

Of course it could happen just as easily with someone I met offline, I didn't mean to imply that it didn't work out because I met him online.  I'm just saying the apps just aren't for me and I wouldn't use them again.  I'm not saying they don't work for people, I think it's a great tool.....just not for me.  I am extremely independent and ok with being single, but I am also very social so if someone comes along that I connect with then I'm not against being in a relationship.  I'm just good right now on my own. 

 

[Gideon33w]

Well, so far I have talked to a few woman online.
Almost exclusively through POF which seems to dominate my area.
Some of those website conversations have moved to texting.
Mostly positive experiences so far.
Haven't gone crazy with this since I'm rather busy getting my life situated though.
I will keep you all posted on my experiences.

 

[DuneElliot]

Of my three POF experiences so far, two have been good (including the current one). One turned out to be a very manipulative a$$ and I quickly walked away from that one! We'll see how the current one works out when it comes time for me to hit the road in 6 weeks!

 

[Queen]

Just for the edification of an older woman who's been out of the dating since before the internet was invented...

- What is POF?

- When you meet someone online, do you just chat via email and text, then decide to meet up?  Does that feel weird, connecting without any of the usual physical social cues?  Although maybe it would just feel weird to someone who's been out of the dating pool since the 80's.

 

[Scott7022]

Queen. POF Pool Of Fish or Puddle Of Fish. As in there are many fish in the sea. But that is copyrighted.

People post a resume of sorts with pictures and hope to attract like minded mates. Past the issues I wrote about earlier. It is a little weird for me and I was a computer geek with an Apple 1 in the 80's. Although I do understand it from a disconnected binary world point of view. I still prefer and counsel friends here; Be you, the real you, and do the things you love to do and someplace along the way you'll bump into someone doing the same and they will like you. So long as you notice and aren't busy taking a selfie! LOL!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Just for the edification of an older woman who's been out of the dating since before the internet was invented...

- What is POF?

Plenty Of Fish. It's an app and website. Its sort of a candy store for singles.

I tried it many years ago, and nah...not for me...I tried Zoosk one time..same thing...and there are lot of ads with no pictures.

This one chick's written description seemed interesting, and she was in my area, so I replied, we messaged back and forth a few times....nothing sexual or adult in anyway...just a few: what are you doing, whats happening, that sort of thing.

Then the bombshell:

She sent a message saying something to this effect: "you DO know you are talking to a 17 year old girl right?"

I replied NO!!!...its says 30 on your profile! WHAT THE HELL?

She said, 'oh that, well I like older men'....

I said GOODBYE and deleted my account...

Jeeze. Never again.

 

[Scott7022]

I am officially blaming the AI autocorrect for dropping Plenty and putting MANY!!! OMG that must have been a shock 17!!! That is what I was saying earlier about writing profiles... Describing oneself is difficult

 

[DuneElliot]

I usually communicate on the site for a short while then if there is some interest I'll take it off-line and text for a while. I don't wait too long to go meet someone...too much time wasted electronically. Between initial contact and first meet-up it's rarely more than 10 days.

I've tried the getting out and bumping into people who do the same things I do, but I haven't had any luck with that.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Dang.

Maybe we need a forum section here for cheapRVers and Vandwellers and such to hook-up....What shall we name it?

CheapRVLoving?

Date and Mate?

RV Rendezvous?

Alone on the Road?

Plenty Of Nomads?

Campfire Cuties?

Solar Panel Paradise?

Get Hitched?

Rubber Tramp Rendezvous?  (oh that ones taken, sorry)

Gotta think of a good name and then run it by the powers-that-be.

 

[user 423]

Roamance?

 

[Cheli]

Dang.

Maybe we need a forum section here for cheapRVers and Vandwellers and such to hook-up....What shall we name it?

There has already been forums for this.  Under the Matters of the Heart forum there are two sub forums, one called Romance for Solo Travelers and the other is Dating Resumes.

 

[tx2sturgis]

OH!!

Ok...learn something new everyday...Since I haven't had any 'heart problems' I had never looked.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Linescrew1 just posted a youtube video on RV community. Quite funny. Anyone into large piece puzzles? lmfao

 

[BigT]

This one chick's written description seemed interesting, and she was in my area, so I replied, we messaged back and forth a few times....nothing sexual or adult in anyway...just a few: what are you doing, whats happening, that sort of thing.

She sent a message saying something to this effect: "you DO know you are talking to a 17 year old girl right?"

Maybe she really was 30 and just wanted you to leave her alone.  Maybe she found out you refer to women as "chicks" and bored them with "what's happening" conversations?     

In my experience, once you've shown interest in someone, the quickest way to lose their attention is to message them with comments like "hey, what are you doing?" and "What's happening?"  People want to know you're actually interested in them and have something to say (not trying to bash).  

Back in 2007 - 2011 I was pretty active on OKC, went on a LOT of dates, and even met a few girlfriends who I dated for, in one case, more than a year.  
Back then you could meet real human beings on Craigslist too (not like now).  
After a while I just got burned out from the process and decided single life was much easier.  

POF, back then (I don't know what it's like now) was total crap.  The home page displayed ads for escort services (hookers); something I thought odd on a "dating site".  It really was little more than a place for hookups and casual sex with strangers, so I deleted my account.  

I think you're chances of meeting someone serious and sane are much better (though not guaranteed) on the pay sites.  At least there the members have to pay monthly so they're less likely to post BS profiles or waste their, and your, time.  

One of my best friends met a woman on Match a few months ago, and now they're very happy together and having a great time.  

 

[Gideon33w]

Well ... Back with the Ex ... But, this thread might be good for others so I encourage people to keep commenting and sharing their experiences.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Maybe she really was 30 and just wanted you to leave her alone.  Maybe she found out you refer to women as "chicks" and bored them with "what's happening" conversations?     

And all of that is possible....

Her loss.

 

[SoulRaven]

Anyone have experience or thoughts on these?
POF and OKCupid look to be more for dating.
Tinder and Blendr appears more for hookups.

My brother tried the plenty of fish dating site and said that it was a waste of time with the women just wanting to chat online in the comforts of their homes and behind their computers. None of them that he connected with at the site wanted to meet in person and if they did make an appointment to meet then they would come back and cancel a few days prior to the meet up.

On the other hand my husband and I met one another at an english senior site. The site wasn't a dating site but more or less a forum for seniors to communicate with one another world wide.

 

[Honeys Park]

They suck. Pof needs a search by living in a van option .

 

[dragonstar85]

I’ve tried OKC few times. I found in there there was many travelers like me. Majority of them we ended up just being friends with I find awesome. Sure, we didn’t click for romance but having friends who also live in cars/vans/rv’s is always awesome. We tend to share ideas and tips with each other and chat about our recent adventures. There was one I thought about dating but quickly all they talked about was sex this sex that, send me nudes, etc. I just stopped talking to him. The other person I actually tried dating turned out badly (we even traveled together over the summer). Not the sites fault. The dude forgot to mention that he’s severely hung up on 2 of his exes who he stays in contact with every single day throughout the day. Even will drop everything he’s doing to “save” one of his exes from their supposed “crisis” every couple of days. So for me the site was great for pals to swap van dwelling with and not so much for romance. But I’m a severe introvert too so I tend find it hard to date and make friends period.